Stranger Things 4
by winnie6336
Summary: A sequel to Stranger Things 3. Now the threat of Hawkin's National Lab is gone Eleven and the AV club can finally be normal teens. They can laugh and just be themselves with no fear of Eleven being whisked away by Dr Brenner. But wait, they still have to survive through Hawkin's High School. New friends, new enemies and new adventures await these brave and curious teens.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello reader! I have been working on this story for a while now, a sequel to my original Stranger Things 3. You may want to read that before continuing with this story but if you were a fan of my last story then welcome back! This story is about high school and all the issue that follow the children into their teen years. Enjoy and please review, it gives me motivation to write more. (All credit goes to the incredible Duffer Brothers.)**

Chapter 1: End of an Era

The summer was almost at a close and the threat of high school loomed over the children of Hawkins like a black cloud of uncertainty and dread. In mere hours Mike, Will, Lucas, Jane and Dustin would be waking to face the first day of September. At this very moment Eleven would rather face five hundred demogorgons then walk through the cold halls of Hawkin High School.

Since El had returned to Hawkin's with Hopper after their, eventful, trip to Alaska to visit Eleven's adoptive grandfather Albert Hopper. It had not gone a planned and the pair had returned home after only a few days filled with arguing and tears. Eleven happily returned to the small cabin in the woods with all her belongings then spending her time in a cramped apartment with a miserable old man and his litter of whining pit bulls. They would constantly bite her toes as she slept on the damp air mattress that lay on the dirt covered wooden floors in the small box room beside the busy street. Ambulances and police cars would pass often, especially at three in the morning. It seemed they were determined to walk El as if her existence was not horrible enough. There was some good though, Alaska was beautiful. Eleven had gone on plenty of walks through the small town leaving her damp accommodation for the brisk summer air of Alaska. The mountains could be seen clearly in the reflection of the lake that El would frequent on her usual trips out. The woods surrounding held many animals and providing shelter from the bitter rain that usually followed such glorious evenings.

At the moment however Eleven was glad to be home. She was currently in her room shuffling through her wardrobe for a suitable outfit for the first day of High School. She could be heard sighing and grumbling from the living room were Hopper was currently watching the football game with a bucket of KFC chicken. He made the conscious decision to leave the hormonal teen to deal with this problem alone as the last time he had tried to help Eleven had slammed the door in his face with her mind causing him to have mild concussion as he slammed his head into the wood.

"Ah!" El said finally finding the perfect sweater to match her red, knee length, plaid skirt. A black turtle neck would perfectly match the soft fabric of the skirt and the black socks that reached just below her knee. A pair of brown ankle boots that El had bought a few months before pulled the whole outfit together and although her toes sat uncomfortably in the shoes she had selected that did not matter all that much. Beauty is pain as Nancy had told her on many occasion even though El had still not got a real handle on the fashionable side of being a girl in the 1980's.

El set the outfit carefully on the back of her desk chair and left the room to slump on the couch beside Hopper were they argued for five minutes about soap operas vs. a football match.

In the end soap operas won and Hopper was forced to spend his Sunday afternoon watching a middle age woman slap men and sappy apologises. He hated to admit it but this style of television was beginning to win him over.

El got up suddenly and walked over to the front door. She reached for her coat off the tall hat stand and pulled an old knitted scarf of Hopper's around her neck.

"Where do you think you are off to?" Hopper said with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"Mike's." El said briefly. She had not seen Mike since she had returned on Thursday morning as Mike was spending quality time with his family as they camped in the bear infested woods that surrounded Hawkin's, and although he made his case every year that this was dangerous and impractical the tradition stuck and every year Mike was dragged outside to spend two weeks with his parents and siblings. This year Jonathan had accompanied them along with Will who insisted on going as to not allow his friend to die of boredom and self pity.

"Back by eight fifteen." Hopper said casually turning back to the screen taking a swig of his luke warm beer.

"Eight one five." El said nodding and heading out the door. She pedalled fast to Mike's, ignoring almost every car or passer by.

Once she pulled up in the drive way she leant her bike against the side of the Wheeler house and made her way around to the front door. Usually she would not be this formal but felt as she had not seen Karen in a month it only felt right to greet her first before heading to the basement to Mike.

"Jane!" Karen said opening the door with a wide grin.

"Hello Mrs Wheeler. Is Mike there?" Eleven said craning her neck around Karen to see if she could spot her boyfriend.

"Yes, in the basement. And Jane?" Karen said. "Call me Karen."

El smiled at her with a polite nod before walking past her and down into the basement. She jumped down the steps two at a time.

"El!" Mike said running up to her as he saw her curly head come into view. He walked quickly up to her and with one hand on her waist and the other on her cheek her pulled her in for a kiss. She returned the gesture by putting her hands around his neck and pulling him closer to her. This lasted for a few second before they pulled apart breathless resting their foreheads against the others smiling happily and all those lost weeks were suddenly gone and it was just them. No one else mattered and it was just them.

"I guess we're past hellos?" Mike joked which forced a laugh out of El's lips before she crashed them back onto his.

"I missed you so much Mike." El whispered into his ear.

"I know. I missed you too. And I thought about you every night." Mike said back.

"Every night." El said sitting on the old floral couch that resided in the Wheeler's basement.

"El?"

"Yes Mike?" El said looking up at him with her eager eyes that shone so bright when looking at him. The chocolate brown that surrounded each pupil felt like a million stars aligning in Mike's mind.

"Promise that no matter what happens tomorrow you won't give up." Mike said taking Eleven's hands in his.

"I won't give up. I promise. I did school before." El said giving Mike a reassuring smile.

"I don't mean with school. I mean promise you won't give up on us. No matter who comes along?" Mike said nervously which just made El giggle and kiss his nose lightly.

"I promise. Your my favourite." El said cuddling up to her boyfriend as he pressed play on the movie he had set up for their date night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: And so it begins...

The morning arrived and sadly the hurricane El had been praying to rip through Hawkin's High School during the night had not happened and the morning was a delight. The ground was covered with rain from the storm the night before but thankfully no damage was done. When Eleven left the house at eight thirty she had already decided to remain positive through out the day which was put to the test when she immediately felt sick upon climbing into the car.

"You ok?" Hopper asked.

"Good." El said swatting away any fear she had about the day and shaking off her worries to focus on her lessons. Although honestly who could ever focuses on the lessons when a whole new phase of your life was beginning and this day would decide your future.

They drove to school in silence, El holding back the urge to jump out of the moving van and Hopper holding back the tears stuck in his throat.

They pulled up to the school where Mike and Lucas were already standing awkwardly with their neat outfits and over eager smiles that hid only the dread inside them.

"Hi El!" Lucas said a little too loudly coughing back the crack in his voice that appeared out of nowhere. A group of older boys sniggered nearby but with a flick of El's wrist all immediately slipped and fell onto the hard concrete.

"Thanks El." Mike murmured through his flushed cheeks. "You look really pretty."

"Thanks. So do you." El said back which made Lucas almost choke on his saliva.

The small group turned and headed through the front doors and into the mayhem that was Hawkin's High School. It was your typical high school filled to the brim with preppy blondes and crack heads that preferred to wallow in self pity then face their issues. The ground was littered with books and forgotten posters from the year before that read about after school clubs and second hand cello's for sale. Teachers could be seen in classrooms sharing a smoke and/or gossiping about the latest rumour that had reached the halls at nine o'clock on the first day of school. News travelled fast and from the few doors that lay open Mike had already heard his sisters name a few times and many unflattering adjectives followed. He swept them to the back of his mind never to be thought of again if he could help it because what did they know? They had no idea what Nancy and Jonathan had gone through. And they never would. Mike was an expert at ignoring horrid adults and teachers who couldn't keep a secret to save their life.

"Mike." El whispered and Mike squeezed her clammy hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine." He whispered to her but all his confidence drained from his body as a burly seventeen year old boy strode over to the three. His hair was shaven into a buzz cut that ha the words 'Raw' shaved into the side of his round head. His neck was barely visible beneath his three chins and gold dollar sign necklace that would have weighed Mike down to the dirty floor but this boy managed to stand up straight with only a mere hunch that may have been down to the fact that he seemed to be the type to sleep in class and the hunch was a product of years of leaning on desks and slumping over chairs.

"Your Mike Wheeler?" He said cracking his knuckles which Mike could see were tattooed with the words 'K-I-L-L'.

"No." Mike spat out dodging the boys grasp and pulling El along the corridor in a hurry.

"Yeah you are! Your Nancy's brother! Nancy the slut." He mocked which made his loyal band of followers crack into a gaggle of hideous laughs and cheering. It wouldn't have mattered what he had said to Mike, anyone could see that these boys would react no different if he had offered him a cold beverage.

"Don't call her that." Mike hissed through his teeth.

"Don't lie to me kid." The boys said walking up to Mike. He towered over the young teen who was lanky and thin whereas this bully was strong and wide. "Your comin' with me."

He grabbed Mike by the scruff of his neck and dragged him into an empty locker room beside the boys toilets. Lucas and El ran after the crowd of teens desperate to help their friend. The loyal gang of troupes did not seem to keen on telling them what to do without reassurance from their leader so they simply ignored the two and stumbled after their brainless counterparts.

They arrived in the locker room to see the burly boy pushing Mike against an iron row of lockers slamming him into them three times with great force.

"Let him go!" El said running up and desperately trying to pull the boys arm off Mike's throat but a tall boy pulled her back and flung her across the room. Lucas helped her up quickly, picking up the books that had spilling out of her back pack.

"I run this school. You may think you 'ave some privilege here, but your wrong. Uncle Steve can't help you now." He said dropping Mike who gasped for air as he hit the cold, wet floor.

The gang of boys turned to leave, happy with their 'victory', stopping in their tracks as Eleven was guarding the only exit. She was standing with a face like thunder holding one menacing hand out in front of her as if reaching for something just beyond her reach. Blood oozed out of her nose and within moments all the boys were lying five metres away sprawled out on the ground.

"Lets get out of here." Lucas said staring at the life less students as he offered Mike a hand up.

They left the room in a row, the boys on either side of El holding her up. Lucas had a hand on her shoulders and Mike had hi arm around her waist.

"In here. F14." Mike said reviewing his timetable looking up at the sign above a classroom door. When they entered they were met with a crowd of fourteen year olds laughing and throwing paper around the room.

"Look." Mike said pointing to the back were Will and Dustin were cowering behind Max who seemed to be picking a fight with a boy twice her height and triple her weight.

"Hi guys." Lucas said dropping his bag by an empty seat just a Max had managed to scare off the boy.

"Who was that?" Mike asked taking out his notebook and a pen and handing Eleven tissues that he now carried in his inside pocket in case of a nose bleed related emergency.

"Justin Smart. Real douchebag if you ask me. His sister and Billy went on a date last night and I think he's convinced that it runs in the family and I'm easy." Max stated in a matter of fact tone slumping over in her chair.

"It's weird being the youngest again." Will said softly staring around the room at the twenty kids scrambling to their seats now that their form teacher was walking in. She was a tall, thin woman with pulled back hair that was so tight it made her eyes retreat into her head so much she resembled a cat about to pounce. She peered around the room with her sharp glare her eyes falling immediately on Mike and Eleven who had chosen to sit in a two seater desk, swiping their touching elbows apart at her presence.

"What is your name young woman?" She said with emphasis on the word 'woman' as if it was an insult for Eleven to even identify as a person. This was simply not true but Eleven took offence anyways and stood up shakily announcing her name.

"Jane. Jane Hopper."

"Ah! The chiefs daughter." She said with a wicked grin folding her arms and smirking at El. "You must feel very special if you think you can waltz into my classroom and sit beside a boy! And better yet you thought it wise to insult me to my face!"

"Miss I did-"

"Save your excuses! I want to see you in detention at lunch time and I will personally see to it that you will not sit beside any boys in your future classes. We wouldn't want you ruining yourself would we." The teacher said softening at the end as if all this was for El's best interest.

"Miss that isn't fair! Jane did nothing wrong!" Mike said standing confidently.

"You will join Miss Hopper at lunch time as well! What is your name boy?"

"Michael Wheeler." Mike said gulping and shuffling his feet slowly.

"Wheeler? Yes. I've heard of you, and your sister. The mother." The teacher said crossing her arms and smiling at Mike with an evil glare.

"Yes. And your point is?" Mike said threatenly.

"A bit young isn't it? But maybe it runs in the family." She said hinting very blatantly at Eleven who was standing next to him. The whole class held their breath in anticipation but couldn't control their laughter as Mike and the boys stared in horror at the teacher.

Mike sat down slowly staring into space, hardly believing such a horrid woman could be allowed to teach at a school.

"Now what do you both have to say for yourself for disrupting my class?" She said tapping her shoe on the cold floor.

"Sorry miss." They both murmured barely holding in their rage.

"Sorry Miss Sunny." She said twirling around and striding to the blackboard where she spelt her name out in block capitals very much like the way the teachers in kindergarten would when teaching you the alphabet. This would be a hard year especially seeing as Miss Sunny was their science teacher.

* * *

"That was simply ludicrous!" Max exclaimed as they all left the classroom feeling very forlorn.

Dustin and Lucas shared a confused glance and decided not to pester Max on the meaning of 'ludicrous'.

"She can't be allowed to do that! Embarrass students in front of a classroom full of their peers? How evil can you get!" Max said throwing her arms into the air and sighing loudly.

Max, Will, Dustin and Lucas ran off to their next class leaving Mike and Eleven alone in the empty corridor. This was the only class they shared without the others even if it was a free period but they had decided to use it to retrieve their locker keys and sort through their books.

"Sorry Mike." El said leaning against her locker fifteen minutes later and wiping a single tear from her eye as she clutched her English textbook to her chest.

"For what?" Mike said kneeling down and shuffling through his back pack for a spare flashlight so he could properly light his locker. He held it in his mouth and he ripped off some duck tape and fashioned a very practical light in his locker space.

"For embarrassing you."

"You didn't embarrass me. Let the old cow think what she wants." Mike said putting an arm around El's shoulder and squeezing her gently.

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now come on, I'll make you one of these lights, all I need are some batteries for my old light. Hold on." Mike said running off down the corridor to hopefully steal a few batteries from the janitors closet.

El leant her head against the iron locker smiling softly and watching Mike jog down the corridor and the sound of his feet hitting the floor.

"Are you Mike Wheeler's girlfriend?" A voice said that snapped El's attention to the girl now standing in front of her.

"Yes?"

"Have you two done it yet? Like make out? Done it?" The nosy girl asked pushing her glasses further up her nose. This encounter reminded El very much of middle school only now she was met with a list of new questions.

"No." El said pulling a rather disgusted face at the girl.

"Oh." She said slightly disappointed she had not gotten the answer she was looking for. Gossip ran wild in this school and maybe she thought having some dirt on the weird girl it would earn her a pass with the popular girls. "I'm Kat. Short for Katherine."

She held out a hand covered in scribbled drawings and notes. El shook the ink covered hand and they exchanged smiles.

Kat was taller then El, even taller then Mike but she had a soft face. She was a bit rounder but that made her look friendly and apart from their first encounter El could tell this girl was no mouth breather. She was wearing square glasses that made her hazel eyes look rather large behind the glass and her hair was flat and dull. It was a rather grotesque shade of brown that reminded you of the matter that would usually resided in grey water or in the bottom of a sewer. Her rainbow sweater that fit rather small and denim jeans made up for her boring hair and the red sneakers gave a look that was unlike anything Eleven was use to. Kat seemed fun, if slightly stranger. But El was used to strange and passed no remarks on Kat's appearance.

"I'm E- Jane. I'm Jane." El said pulling her hand back and subconsciously reminding herself to wash that hand well to get off the ink stains.

"I know. I'm in your class. I sat at the front, my sight isn't that great." Kat said sighing and tapping the frame of her glasses.

"My English isn't that good." El said with a weak smile.

"Oh, are you not American?" Kat enquired.

"I'm from Sweden!" El exclaimed thinking of the excuse they had given Mr Clarke last year. How much she missed him on a day like this and how she would trade anything for him to replace mean Miss Sunny. "I was adopted last Christmas by Hopper. He's great."

"That's really interesting, sadly my parents aren't as fascinating. They split when I was eight and fight all the time. It's just me and my brother Alex moving from mom's house to dad's trailer. It's fine I guess if not for Bruce. He's my dad's dog and once they finalize the custody papers and sign us off to mom we'll never see Bruce again. Mom's getting a restraining order on dad and talking to the council about having the dog put down for 'disturbing the peace'." Kat said with air quotes around the talk of 'disturbing the peace'.

"That's not good."

"No, it isn't." Kat said her face going red a bit ashamed she had blurted so much out about her family life.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Burger Time

That evening as the small group of friends left the school premise's they made plans to eat at Benny's Burgers. It was currently being run by Benny's nineteen year old son Brian, although everyone in town knew it was really his wife Lisa holding the family business together while Brian spent his time mowing around Bakers Street and selling drugs to the teens at the high school in the town over, the ones who were too scared to collect the goods on their turf but would gladly arrange the pick up in Hawkins. Of course no one would say this to Lisa who was truly a wonderful woman stricken with grief after the death of her husband which had only recently been found to be a murder not a suicide as everyone thought for many months.

"Jane!" Came a shout from behind the group and when they all turned they could see Kat running up to them waving a piece of paper.

"You left this by your locker." Kat panted handing El the page with a few notes taken down on it but nothing too important that Kat would have a reason to run after her.

"Thank you Kat." Jane said folding the page neatly and setting it into her pocket.

"Your welcome." Kat said with a smile and the next few seconds consisted of awkward silence and Lucas, Max and Dustin exchanging sceptical looks.

"Well I'll be off." Kat said raising her hand in goodbye and walking back towards the school.

"Kat! Your homes that way, the school's that way." El shouted back and Kat fumbled with her words as she made a quick excuse that she had left her sports bag in the gym. Eleven knew this to be a lie as Kat had no bag that morning and showed no signs of being interested in physical activity in the five minutes they had spent talking outside El's locker before Mike interrupted and Kat scattered without a goodbye.

"She seems- nice?" Will said as if asking a question and not stating a fact.

"She's very strange isn't she." Max said staring back at the girl as they continued onwards to the burger joint.

"Her parents are divorced. She's losing her dog." El stated and immediately the whole party felt bad for mentioning Kat's peculiar side.

"She's from the posh side of town. I heard she was from Pittsburgh but her family had to move because she tried to stab her therapist." Lucas whispered which made El furrow her eyebrows and glare at the back of Lucas' head.

"He's just kidding." Mike assured Eleven but it was not good enough for her. After that they did not speak of Kat and decided to spend their precious few hours discussing their first day of school.

They had almost gotten through explaining each others day when they saw Steve leaning against the wall of Benny's tapping the wall to a tune they could not make out. His sunglasses were drawn over his eyes so he was yet to notice the six people standing in front of him waiting impatiently for him to recognise the shapes in front of him as humans.

"Ahem!" Dustin said allowed making Steve jump into action.

"Hey bro." He said hitting the cap Dustin was wearing so it fell below his eyes. "How was high school? Great right?"

The kids all strained a smile and nodded in agreement. Memories of the annual freshman beatings the older students gave them at lunch time after Mike and Eleven's detention came flooding back. You could say they didn't have the best day.

Once they were seated and had ordered seven burgers and fries Steve began to pester them for specific details on their first day of high school.

"Miss Sunny's our form teacher. She's a real witch." Mike said resting his head in his arms.

"Yeah she's a bitch. You know her son's going there? Real bully. Picks on the younger one because he's afraid of the older ones. They call him Raw. Well his mates do. Not that he really has any- What are you all staring at me for?" Steve said as everyone's jaw dropped.

"He ambushed us this morning! But El dealt with them." Lucas said nudging their secret weapon who smiled in return and pushed her fries around her plastic plate with her plastic fork. El was deep in thought about Kat and reviewing the situation in her mind over and over again until Kat's life seemed a huge pile of unanswered questions that El would love nothing more then to ask her but Mike had taught her recently that snooping in others personal business was forbidden and all in all not a good thing to do especially if she wanted to be Kat's friend which El wanted very much.

"Good job." Steve said holding a fist out which El returned with a fist pound.

They ate and laughed for what felt like days but was really only an hour or two before Steve forked up some cash for them to order milkshakes on the condition that Mike and El would share one between them with two straws and after plenty of begging from the others who very much wanted a milkshake, and to make Mike and El embarrassed, they gave in and shared the milkshake.

The evening went pretty smoothly until Alex barged in with his band of bullies following behind. He scanned the room breathing heavily out of his open mouth until he spotted the kid sitting at the back booth. Their stomachs dropped and they stared with wide eyes their impending doom racing up to them in the form of angry teens.

"Yo midgets!" He yelled marching over to the kids, cracking his knuckles threatenly. This was unfortunately very bad timing as Steve had just gone to the toilet and the kids were practically defenceless. "I've been looking for something to hit!"

"Yo- You can't hurt us here! It- It's a public place!" Dustin piped up forcing a wicked grin to spread across Alex's face.

"Yeah, but my mate owns this joint. So I'd be a little more coy if I was you." He said leaning over the table at Dustin who was practically shaking in his seat. Max leant over to Mike and mouthed the word 'Brian' as if not understanding the statement.

"Wha' you want!" Alex yelled at Max.

"Your Brian's friend?"

"Wha'?" Alex spat out his mouth dangling open like a gorilla would when fed.

"It mean's someone who you trust dickwad. Look it up." Max said glaring at him through beady eyes.

"Wha' you so smug abou' anyway Mayfield? That's right, know your brother. Real asshole since your parents shipped him off to some school for thugs."

"He's not my brother. And he was not sent to a school for thugs. It's a therapy session for his anger issues, maybe you should join him!" Max yelled back, standing up and pushing the table a few centimetres in front of her just in time for Steve to re-enter the picture and save their asses.

"Excuse me but is there a problem here?" He said pushing Raw back from Max, their faces were so close she could smell the cider and cigarettes of his breath.

"Yeah Harrington. These pipsqueaks have been causin' bother. Wha' you goin' do 'bout it? Word has it you've became a big softy. I don't have a clue why you'd hang out with this one," Alex said pointing at Mike, "Seeing as his sister got knocked up by this ones," He pointed at Will this time, "Brother!"

Raw was almost a head shorter then Steve who simply rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips a bit pissed off this was a situation he was involved in.

"It's pronounced whaT! With a T!" Max snapped.

"Max please. I'm trying to think." Steve warned. Alex and his friends stared at Steve in confusion. It was a new experience for them as none of them have ever thought for more then a few seconds and every time they did it usually ended with them taking a hit at the person nearest them.

"Ok so here's what we're going to do." Steve said raising his hands in a prayer to his lips. "You are going to let us leave and then tomorrow me and my friend with meet you at the quarry and we'll settle this. Alright?"

Raw seemed to be contemplating this for a few seconds.

"Cool." He said shaking Steve's hand and motioning for his friends to leave the diner. Every table stared at them as they left, some breathing sighs of relief there had been no fight but a few students were whining about how they would have preferred a few punches then peace.

* * *

That night Eleven and Mike were cuddled on the sofa in the basement, Mike's arm trapped under El shoulder but he daren't move for fear El would wake. She was so peaceful and she had had a tiring day that Mike thought it unfair to wake her at that moment. Instead he leant his head down and kissing her forehead gently.

"I love you so much." He whispered to her cheek, so soft he hardly heard it himself and was a bit shocked when the supposedly sleeping El answered him.

"I know." She said yawning and turning over snuggling into Mike's chest and wrapping an arm around his small waist.

"You weren't meant to hear that." Mike whispered into her hair laughing slightly.

"I know." She said burying her head further into his sweater. She lay still smelling the familiar scent that was Mike. Chocolate milk and butter, with a hint of orange. It was a smell El was all too familiar with. El however smelt more like lavender (the soaps Nancy had bought her) and burnt waffles. It was peculiar but was still a wonderful combination that not many would think would blend together so nicely.

Mike fell asleep in that position with a small smile on his face and when Hopper arrived mere moments later him and Karen did not have the heart to wake them and instead she lay a blanket over their sleeping bodies and assured Hopper she would get El to school tomorrow and suggested Hopper lie in for once. Hoppe happily agreed although he could not seem soft to Karen so instead he shook her hand pretending that he was very much against the idea of his daughter sleeping over at a boys were in reality he thought it very cute and innocent.

"Do you think they knew we were awake?" Mike whispered to El once Karen had left the basement, the door above the steps slightly agar so only a slither of light entered the room.

"No." El said smiling and jumping up. She and Mike unfolded the couch bed without so much as a creak and went to the cupboard and made the bed with fresh sheets and blankets to keep them warm. They had to keep close as they had only taken one blanket and neither wanted to leave the comfort of the bed to fetch another one. El didn't care however as she had intentionally taken one.

They snuggled up again this time in a proper bed and not just squeezing onto the small, two seater couch. They talked for hours before El realised Mike had fallen asleep. She leant down close enough to his ear that she was certain he would hear her in his sleep deprived state.

"I love you too." She whispered. She turned over and pulled Mike's arm over her waist. He smiled sweetly in his sleep and pulled her closer to him, holding on tight as if she would evaporate into thin air. It had happened once and Mike was determined to never let it happen again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Just in Case.

A week later and high school had not improved for the party what so ever. In fact it had declined to madness over the past few days. School was becoming a tedious, dull day to day part of their lives like getting dressed or brushing your teeth. Just six hours of intense workloads and irritating classmates who felt it necessary to make every minute in that hell hole feel like days for Mike, Will, Dustin, Max, El and Lucas.

Other then the extreme horror that was Hawkin's High, Kat seemed to be distancing herself further and further from Eleven. Although she seemed quite keen on developing a friendship with her at first Kat had seemingly changed her mind and was spending her days trailing behind the walking barbies who patrolled the halls of the school premises. She was turning into their new project, their only method of entertainment in their standard lives. Torturing fellow students really did seem like a pass time or these girls.

"Forget her. She's just as fake as the rest of them." Lucas said shovelling a forkful of potatoes into his mouth at dinner. El had previously been staring over her shoulder at Kat who was smiling broadly at the table of miniature Madonna's as the other girls ignored her.

"Yes. Fake." El said turning around sadly and staring at her lap were she was clenching the piece of paper Kat had handed her only a week before. What was so important about this note that she felt the need to race after her. Did she ever want to be El's friend or was she simply a puppet for the girls she now called her friend, a way to work out if Eleven was really in a relationship with the boy who had become so well known around the school for having a sister with a baby.

"Don't worry too much. Besides! We have a sleepover to plan!" Mike said cheerfully which perked El up at once and they got to work planning the night they had ahead of them. Everyone was meeting outside the school after last period to cycle to Mike's house for their monthly sleepover.

"I vote we play Dungeons and Dragons." Dustin said throwing his opinion into the gaggle of talking.

"El can't play." Will said motioning towards El.

"She can learn! It's been long enough and besides she can be in Mike's team until she gets the hang of it." Dustin said blatantly.

"That's ok. We need a mage, and El's a quick learner." Mike said talking a drink of his water.

"Quick learner at tonsil tennis." Max murmured which made everyone burst out laughing and El slap Mike's back who was starting to choke on his water.

"Shut up." Mike said kicking Max lightly under the table.

"Tonsil tennis?" Eleven said scrunching her nose.

"Making out. Like kissing but- different." Lucas explained briefly.

"What is different?" El said talking a bite of her turkey sandwich.

"It's quicker, and longer. I guess I've never done it. None of us have." Lucas said blushing. Him and Max had not yet declared themselves a couple officially even though it was perfectly clear to the others.

"Oh." El said.

"Mike, I thought you'd done it?" Dustin joked.

"Bite me." Mike spat out.

"He's just kidding." Will said once again being the mediator in the group and keeping them from a full argument that could result in someone saying something they did not mean. Like the great fall out of '83. Long story.

"Let's just drop it ok?" Mike said avoiding eye contact with everyone and staring at his plate trying desperately to hid his flushed cheeks.

"It's ok Mike." Eleven said sweetly. "Don't be embarrassed."

They finished their lunch in silence apart from Dustin and Will who began arguing about who would win in a battle, super-man or green lantern.

Mike and El picked their trays up and emptied them while saying goodbye to the others and heading off to their lockers for free period.

Once there El took her usual spot on the bench opposite the locker immersing herself in 'The Secret Garden' while Mike shuffled through his locker picking out old, apple cores and lint. He pinched his nose tightly while he held a apple core by the rotting stem and dropped it in the plastic bag before stuffing it into the bin at the end of the hall.

"Weekly clean up done!" Mike said wiping his hands on his jeans and slumping beside Eleven.

"Mike?"

"Yes?" Mike said not giving her his full attention as he picked at a hangnail.

"Will you go to the Halloween party with me?"

This caught Mike off guard as he had almost completely ignored the posters plastered around the school notice boards advertising the up coming school dance for freshmen. He knew trick or treating was off the table as they were all getting too old but he had never considered going to a Halloween party. It was being held at town hall and was a way for the adults to keep an eye on the children who were too old to be trusted but too young to be kept inside. It was strictly dress up and apparently the event of the year for the cheerleaders and jocks as they wouldn't be going to prom in freshman year so instead they strived to win Queen of the Hallow. A cheesy crown and single dance apparently appealed to the girls but the boys wanted the title as it granted you immunity from the football team as the coach was not going to kick the popular boy off the team no matter how much you messed up. Mike was not one of those boys and El was not one of those girls so it was surprises she even wanted to attend.

"What?"

"We can stay for a while then leave. Go home and watch movies. Please Mike! I want to go." El said sticking out her bottom lip slightly and batting her eyes, a move that won Mike around every time.

"Alright. But no couples costumes!" Mike said lifting his finger in the air to symbolise his resistance to matching costumes.

"Why not!" El said sitting on her knees.

"I'm not going to be one of those couples who make everyone sick with how cute they are, every friendship group has one." Mike said suddenly realising that they were that couple. "Whoa! We're that couple!"

Mike stared off into the distance as if caught of guard by this sudden revelation.

"What?" El said tilting her head slightly at Mike.

"Okay never mind." Mike said snapping out of it quickly. "Just make sure to pick a cool couple. No Sandy and Danny."

"Yay!" El said planting a kiss on Mike's cheek. "Luke and Leia!"

Mike looked at her in disgust, aghast she would ever suggest that.

"They're brother and sister!" Mike said.

"Really?" El asked. She had only watched the first movie and was unaware of the bombshell they dropped in 'Return of the Jedi'.

"Yes. Darth Vader's their dad." Mike said simply.

"Oh." El said sadly. She had always been a fan of Star Wars, especially Chewbacca who was her favourite character because he reminded her of a big, fluffy, teddy bear.

"You have plenty of time. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll think of something." Mike said smiling at her before picking up his her book and standing up.

"Coming? English next." He said extending a hand to help her up which she took happily and they walked hand in hand to El's English class were Mike left her before running off to Physics because he didn't want El to get lost and even though she knew the way he insisted on taking her every time. Just in case.

* * *

That night at the monthly Wheeler sleepover something drastic happened. They were sitting around the sofa playing D&D and eating pizza, Mike patiently teaching El everything she needed to know and Dustin, Lucas and Max very impatiently waiting for the game to begin. Mere minutes after they had begun playing El felt something horrid and jumped up suddenly. She raced from the room and noisily barged up the stairs and almost knocked Karen over who was coming down the steps at that exact moment to bring them popcorn she had freshly made.

"What's the matter with Jane?" She asked and everyone shrugged but Mike got up quickly, concerned for his girlfriend.

He darted up the stairs and started to search the house for Eleven. He could not shout out for her as Ben was sleeping in Nancy's room and he feared the wrath of his sister if he waked the sleeping tot at an hour like this. He was almost about to give up and wait for her downstairs when he noticed the up stairs bathroom was locked. He had not thought to look in there as there was a perfectly good bathroom in the basement and Eleven's overnight bag was down there also so she had no reason to use the bathroom farthest away from them.

"El?" Mike said tapping lightly on the door. He heard some muffles and shuffling before El responded with;

"Go away."

"El what's wrong?" Mike said resting the side of his head against the door frame.

"Go away Mike! I don't want to talk to you."

Slightly hurt Mike turned to leave, to give her some space to cool down as he simply had no idea what he had done to upset her.

"Can you get Nancy?" Came a smaller voice from inside the bathroom.

"Ok El. I'll get Nancy." Mike said and he knocked softly on Nancy's door before she opened it quickly tying the cord around her nightgown, her hair a mess and squinting her eyes at the sudden light from the hallway.

"What?" She hissed desperate not to wake Jonathan or Ben.

"El wants you."

"Why?"

"I don't know! She's in the bathroom." Mike said turning and tiptoeing down the stairs to return to his guests.

Nancy however closed her bedroom door quietly and pranced across the hallway to the bathroom door which she knocked faintly.

"Eleven?" She croaked out.

"Nancy!"

"What's wrong?"

"I'm scared." El whispered.

"Open the door El so I can talk to you." Nancy said and after a few seconds of thinking from Eleven the sound of a bolt turning sounded and the door was pulled open. When Nancy glancing into the room it looked relatively normal except for the drops of blood on the blue tiles and El sobbing on the edge of the bath.

"El what happened?" Nancy said leaning over and comforting the young girl.

"I don't know. It hurt and then it stopped and so I came up here and-" El said motioning towards the blood on the bathroom floor and the blood stained pants in the corner that Nancy had only just noticed.

"Oh Eleven. That's nothing. It's just your period. Remember when I taught you about that?" Nancy said putting an arm around her and she felt the slight nod of El's head.

"Yes."

"It's perfectly normal, if a little embarrassing. Now let's get you cleaned up. I'll get you bag and you can put on your clean pants after you have a shower and I'll lend you some of my pyjamas. Sound good?" Nancy asked and El nodded. Nancy cleaned up the blood splattered across the ground after getting El into the shower in the other bathroom. She laid her new pyjamas, her clean pants and a pad on the closed toilet seat along with Eleven's full bag so she could clean up afterwards with her hairbrush and perfume as well as the other toiletries Eleven had brought with her.

Once she was cleaned and emotionally stable Nancy took her into her mom's room and towel dried her hair before gently brushing it out as they discussed the best ways to deal with this topic.

When Eleven was finally cleaned up almost an hour later she travelled downstairs to join the others once more this time a little ashamed of her reaction to a simple period.

"El." Mike said standing as soon as she had entered the basement, Nancy not far behind.

"Eleven's not feeling well, so make sure she has plenty of chocolate and has a rest. No horse play!" Nancy said smiling before heading upstairs to join her boyfriend.

"What's wrong El? Are you sure your just sick?" Mike said rubbing her arms and sitting her gently down on the sofa.

"I'm fine Mike. Promise." She said kissing his nose lightly to reassure him she was perfectly alright.

"Barf!" Dustin exclaimed. "Get a room!"

"Fuck off Dustin. Eleven's not well." Mike said turning and glaring at him.

Once everyone had gotten over El's meltdown from earlier they set to work playing D&D but Max and Eleven decided to sit it out as Max very much wanted to weasel it out of El as to why she had really left the party.

"Is it your period?" She whispered after many failed guesses.

"Yes." El said looking at her feet shamefully.

"Ohhh! I thought it was something really bad! That's not that horrible." Max said sitting back into the sofa pillows.

"You've had it?"

"Sure. A year ago. Sure as hell freaked me out though! Billy was the only one in the house and he didn't half tease me. Dickhead." Max said laughing along with her own story.

"Oh."

"It's fine. Just so long as your prepared for it. And don't tell the boys, they'll get all weird and stuff."

"Don't tell us what?" Lucas said his head turning quicker then usual. All the boys abandoned their game of Dungeons and Dragons to listen into the girls conversation.

"Nothing."

"You have to tell us now!" Dustin whined.

"Is it about El? If so I deserve to know more then the others!" Mike said folding his arms and staring Max down.

"No! It is not just about El and if I did tell you, you would all be weird and squeamish." Max argued.

"We won't! Promise!" Will said and now everyone was intrigued to find out what the girls had been whispering about.

"Fine! El do you want to tell them?" Max said staring at El. Eleven suddenly felt very on the spot and stammered out a 'Yes' even though she truthfully did not want the boys. However it would make matters simpler if she did not have to hid this now and Mike would understand why she had really left the room.

"Ok! The truth?" Max said staring angrily at the boys who nodded eagerly. "We were talking about periods!"

All of a sudden the room went silent and all the boys faces went from interested to shocked to awkward again in a matter of seconds.

"Oh." Lucas said rubbing the back of his neck.

"You wanted the truth so you got the truth." Max said confident in her attempt to make the boys feel incredibly embarrassed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The 'Best Friend'

Sadly, things did not improve for Eleven that week in school after her very traumatic weekend at Mike's. Mike however was being incredible, showering Eleven with chocolates and hot water bottles every time she came over. He had gotten tips from Nancy on how to deal with a girl's time of the month and he had also had a very uncomfortable discussion with Nancy about girls and how to be very sensitive when El is on her time of the month, and she was about to have the awkward talk about girls when Mike left that conversation quickly by climbing out Nancy's window and cycling off to Lucas' to avoid this incredibly unavoidable conversation. Him and Eleven had only kissed a few times and Nancy was suddenly bombarding him with talk about babies and pregnancies.

"Your sisters weird man." Lucas said as he pulled the antenna of his walkie-talkie up to see if either Dustin or Will were on the other line.

"Yeah. And it's so not fair because me and El aren't even doing that and she shouldn't assume things just because at my age she was making out with Barry Winslow at the back of biology class! She is so out of order." Mike said slumping over in Lucas' beanbag and crossing his arm in a very irritable huff.

"The thing is Mike that you want to be making out with El in the back of biology class!" Lucas' mumbled and Mike jokingly threw a pillow at his stupid, grinning head.

"It's not funny." He grumbled.

"It's pretty funny if you ask me." Lucas said abandoning his attempts to contact the other members and sat down beside Mike who was in a very serious day dream.

"Look Mike, Eleven hardly even knows about that kind of stuff, apart from everything Nancy has told her and you declaring your love for her and promising her children-" Lucas got yet another pillow thrown at his head for that remark. "So I'm just saying, you have nothing to be worried about. She has no expectations next year."

"Next year?" Mike said lifting his head slightly. "What's next year?"

"Well your both turning fifteen?"

"And?"

"When a couple are fifteen that's when they usually get serious. Like promise rings and stuff. Nancy and Steve did all that sappy stuff." Lucas said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No they didn't."

"Mike, Nancy wore a locket with two pictures of Steve in it for a year. I thing they were extremely serious." Lucas said laughing.

At that moment they heard the doorbell and Mrs Sinclair talking to someone unknown. Mere moments later and she was opening the door to reveal Eleven.

"El! What are you doing here?" Mike said his face turning red.

"She called at your house but you weren't there. So she came over here and well I let her in. Lucas you never told me you were so friendly with such a lovely girl?" Mrs Sinclair said obviously thinking this was Lucas' girlfriend, he had not yet told her about Max.

"Mom El- I mean Jane's Mike's girlfriend!" Lucas hissed with raised eyebrows and shooing her out of the room. Mrs Sinclair looked slightly disappointed as she very much approved of Eleven and on the rare occasion she had met Max she was growing more scared that her son may have a crush on the obnoxious red head who's brother was known for violence and hook-ups.

Once Lucas had managed to close the door on his mom he turned around to see El giving Mike a kiss on the cheek which he usually would have appreciated but after the conversation he and Lucas' had just had he was feeling very awkward and shy which thankfully Eleven did not pick up on.

"Hello Lucas. You have nice home." El said taking her coat of her sitting on the bed.

"Thanks El." Lucas said grinning madly and flopping down on the bean bag Mike was previously sitting on which forced Mike to sit next to Eleven which Lucas received a glare for. Mike shifted uncomfortably on the bed and smiled awkwardly at Eleven who was questioning why Lucas was staring at the two like they were a very enjoyable TV sitcom.

"Now we're all here-"

"We're not all here." Mike said interrupting but Lucas continued on.

"How about we talk about something important-"

"Lucas..." Mike said threatenly.

"Let's talk about Mileven! Eike, whatever you deem fit." Mike looked ready to burst with rage and even Eleven had turned a bit red.

"Well-" Eleven said but Mike cut her off.

"It's fine El. You don't have to talk about it. He's just being annoying." Mike said angrily.

"Oh come on Mike!" Lucas pleaded jokingly. It was his favourite past time to annoy Mike, as was the other boys. And now it was so easy to irritate him that the teasing happened on a daily basis. Especially now that they could no longer tease Will, seeing as he went through so much.

"Lucas shut up! How about we talk about you and Max? Huh!" Mike said standing up and glaring at Lucas. Lucas now leaned back in his chair, extremely afraid of Mike who was seething with rage.

"Mike, I- It was just a joke-"

"Well it's not funny! Your making me and Eleven really uncomfortable and you don't even care!" Mike screamed and Eleven stood up trying to reason with him.

"Mike please-"

"Eleven sit down, I don't want to upset you." Mike said gently sitting Eleven back down.

"Why are you getting so angry about this?"

"Because Lucas it's not cool! You can't just pressure us into talking about our relationship!"

"We talk about this a lot Mike, why is it any different now-"

"Because we're older and things happen and you do not need to be involved!" Mike screamed grabbing Eleven's hand and dragging her out of the room. He stormed out of the house and him and Eleven marched over to Mike's house. They ran upstairs into Mike's bedroom were Mike sank onto the bed holding his head in his hands. El walked slowly over to him from the doorway holding a hand out as if scared he would bite his hand off.

When she was close enough to him she sat next to him on the bed and held his hand, pulling it away from his face.

"I'm sorry El." Mike said suddenly hugging her tight. Girls were not allowed in his room so he immediately saw sense and ran over to his door, bolting it shut.

"Don't be sorry Mike."

"I shouldn't have yelled. It must have scared you, it scared me."

"What were you sad about?" El said staring up at him with her big doe eyes.

"Nothing, it's nothing..." Mike stammered putting a hand on the back of his neck and shaking his head, staring at the ground.

"Mike," Eleven said standing up and putting a hand on his waist and a hand on his cheek holding his head still. "Friends don't lie."

Mike stared into her comforting eyes and answered her questions with no words. He pushed forwards and kissed her. It was more magical then usual and it answered Eleven's question with no words.

"Oh. That." She said chuckling slightly.

"Yes. That." Mike said smiling at her and leaning his nose on hers.

They spent the next half an hour or so kissing before Eleven snuck out of the house and waved goodbye as Mike smiled at her through his window. He couldn't wait to marry that girl.

* * *

Mike Wheeler arrived at his school that morning, a feeling of dread filling his head and the imminent threat surrounding his fragile friendship with Lucas Sinclair wound tightly around his neck. He took one deep breath and marched into the large building. Through the corridors he trekked until he reached Mrs Sunny's classroom in which sat thirty or so students all ready for a good gossip.

Mike pushed the door open and the party who sat at the back row went quiet. Mike walked quickly over to them and sat his bag beside his desk which he unfortunately shared with Lucas. Lucas who had previously been speaking with Dustin turned his back and continued his conversation making a point to call Dustin his best friend which was a hard blow to Mike who in all his years of knowing Lucas they had been in many fights but never had Lucas ever referred to anyone else as his best friend. That was a title reserved for Mike and only Mike. Everyone knew that they had been best buddies since kindergarten.

"Hi Mike." El said sitting on his desk.

"Hi El."

Lucas made yet another smart comment this time referring to how people with girlfriends are so annoying.

That day passed rather slowly with Lucas and Mike sitting around the others but not speaking a word to each other. Mike had tried many times after their lessons to speak with Lucas but he had simply stormed out of the room before Mike could even pack his bag and at lunch he had disappeared off with Dustin and Max, leaving Will, Eleven and Mike sitting on the old wall at the back of the playing fields.

"I just wish he'd talk to me. I didn't mean what I said, I was just angry. And he's so stubborn he wouldn't apologise if his life depended it!" Mike said holding his head in his hands and staring out onto the large field in front of them that surrounded the back of the school premises. From behind them they suddenly heard a very loud argument and what sounded like Max yelling at someone.

"Just come on! You need to make up! I'm sick of this!" Came the voice. Another voice answered sounding very annoyed and irritated.

"Max, I don't want to! It's his fault and if he doesn't want to be friends then fine!" Came the voice and it was clear to them all that it was in fact Lucas and Max so when they turned around and saw Max arguing with Lucas on the ground below and Dustin leaning against the wall eating a tuna sandwich it was extremely uncomfortable for them all as they were in a very tight spot.

"Lucas of course he wants to be your friend. You were just a bit harsh on him, that's all." Dustin said through a mouthful of food.

"No! I was not harsh, and I won't apologise. He and El spend too much time together and he is shutting us out." Lucas shouted back.

"What about you and Max? We all know you two have been sneaking off to each others house after school. And Mike and Eleven are in love!" Dustin said stretching out the love longingly. He and his mother had been watching soap operas since Dustin could talk and he had become quite the romancer, becoming very obsessed with love and 'training' himself to be a self-proclaimed love expert. He also walked in once on Mike telling Eleven he loved her which might have a bit of an impact with his devotion for the couple and their cute moments.

"Hardly! It's like E.T, Mike found a pet, took it in and now loves it. It's pretty creepy if you ask me." Lucas said crossing his arms.

"Hey, not cool. El is not a pet. And Mike certainly does not see her as one. Lucas your being really horrible-" Max started.

"Then leave! No one's asking you to be here! If you think Mike's so saintly then go and bother him." Lucas said turning his back and folding his arms.

"Fine. Maybe we will." Max spat out before turning herself. "Come on Dustin, let's find Mike and the others."

Dustin seemed to be reconsidering it before he shook his head at Lucas' turned back and walked off with Max, leaving Lucas alone leaning against the wall. Mike even thought he heard a small sob come from below him.

Will, El and Mike quickly slid along the wall, far enough along that Lucas would not see them but close enough that they could jump down safely and make their way over to Max and Dustin who were looking for them by the bike shed.

Mike however took one look back, hanging behind the others looking as Lucas sat by the wall resting his head in his knees. Mike felt bad but after what Lucas had said about Eleven he didn't think he could ever forgive him first. Maybe if Lucas said the first sorry, but Mike just didn't know. He loved Eleven and no 'best friend' could ever stop that no matter how jealous they became.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Revenge

That Friday and still the two boys had not spoken. In fact Lucas had not said a word to anyone from the party and he had even skipped lunch the past few days to avoid them. Mike and Dustin suspected he was camping out in the abandoned AV room trying to get the old equipment to work. Unfortunately the school had shut that club down years ago but never got around to removing the equipment from the room. Will still felt a sharp pain in his heart when they spoke of the AV club as it was the only thing that Bob Newby was remembered for, well apart from the fact that the people closest to him still loved him. Will kept these feelings to himself, deciding the relationship him and Jonathan shared with Bob was too special to tell the others.

"Maybe we should apologise. I mean Lucas' is miserable!" Dustin said as they hung out in Mike's basement that night. Dustin and Will were camped on the sofa stuffing their faces with popcorn like usual. Mike and Eleven were sitting under the table were Mike had sat only a year before desperately trying to communicate with Eleven, and were Eleven cried her self to sleep beside while in the upside down, falling asleep beside Mike every night that he was too weak with sadness to go upstairs to his bedroom and had decided to sleep under the table. Now however the two were sitting with Eleven practically on his knee holding hands under the blanket they had over them to ease the teasing that was surely coming their way. Max stood leaning against a wooden pillar behind the television, looking fed up and sad that she had no one to sit with and cuddle with. Even though they would not have been cuddling even if Lucas was not upset with the whole group. Steve was also there and was slouched over in a bean bag recovering from a very bad hangover from the night before and had decided to crash there for the evening to avoid the trouble that would be coming his way on his return home.

"No. We can't apologise. He needs to say sorry for the way he spoke about Eleven, and the way he made Mike and El feel when he deliberately made them feel uncomfortable." Max insisted. She may be missing Lucas but her thirst for justice won her over and she was sticking with her friends, even if one was missing.

"I would have said sorry. I would have, if not for the way he spoke about El. That wasn't fair. She's not a common pet." Mike said and El burrowed her head happily into his shoulder at his kind words.

"Yes. Exactly! Now can we please talk about something other then Lucas? He'll give in eventually and then this will all be over but until then I brought over 'A Nightmare on Elm's Street' so can we please ignore our sadness for a few hours and just marvel at Mike's girly scream?" Dustin said standing up making everyone laugh apart from Mike who's face had turned red.

"I will not scream. And I certainly do not sound 'girly'."

"Yes you do, and we all know how scared you get of these kind of movies." Steve murmured from the beanbag were he was sipping coffee, desperately trying to remove the lingering smell of alcohol from his system. If Nancy discovered him, partially drunk, in her basement while her baby slept upstairs she would lose her cool and no one wanted that. She had become very stern now she was a mother and had banned Jonathan and herself from any form of alcohol and/or swearing.

"I do not! And besides I've seen this movie before so I can tell El when the scary parts are coming up." Mike said grinning which made Will and Max pull vomiting faces at their cuteness.

"Where did you see it? It came out when you were like ten." Dustin said slotting the DVD into the television.

"I saw it at Luca- Actually never mind. Just play the movie." Mike said sitting back in his seat but everyone had heard and were now staring guiltily at the television which was now showing very tedious ads. They had never had a sleepover without Lucas, and here they were watching a horror movie. Lucas' favourite genre of movie.

They sat in silence tensing up at the scary parts and even chuckling nervously at some parts. Everyone however laughed when something popped up on the screen and Mike let out a small feminine scream.

* * *

The next week they were heading out of Spanish with Mr Connelly when they spotted Amanda giving out what looked like flyers for a party. Mike managed to wriggle past the crowd of people and snatch a few sheets for the gang who were hanging around the lockers, backs pressed against the wall to avoid being trampled.

"Here." Mike said handing everyone a page. "Should we go?"

"I don't know Mike, this isn't really our scene." Will said setting the page on top of the pile of books he was carrying.

"I say we should go. See what it's like. You know if we want to get into good colleges we need to be social, go to events and join clubs. It's the quickest way to insure your place in Harvard." Max said opening her locker and stuffing her back pack in it along with her lunch which got squashed in the process resulting in multiply swear words from Max.

"You want to go to Harvard?" Dustin asked. He had put little thought into life after high school.

"Of course. It's the best school America and it's far enough away from my family that they couldn't find me. Harvard is perfect." Max said slamming her locker closed. "So I'm going. And I'm trying out for the soft ball team."

Everyone stared at her like she had a second head sprouting out of her neck.

"What? I played tons of sports in my old school, but with everything that happened last year I seemed to have forgot to sign up. But I've missed enough practices and I am going to sign up. And we're all going to the party."

"Fine." Dustin said rolling his eyes as Max flickered her hair over her shoulder and swayed down the hallway.

"Mike?" El said tugging his shirt as the others walked off leaving Mike and Eleven who had a free period now.

"Yes?"

"What is college?" El whispered afraid someone would hear and assume her stupid.

"It's somewhere you go after high school. Well most of the time you do, some don't. But you pay for it and you move away and everything." Mike said. He had always thought fondly of college, assuming he would go and leave his messed home. That was before his dad died and then he needed to stay and take care of his mom and sister. Jonathan and Nancy would be fine, but Karen and Holly wouldn't. They needed him even though they didn't want to admit it. But ever since his mom and her boyfriend had gotten more serious and she had a stable job he was reconsidering it.

"Will you go?" Eleven asked.

"Maybe. Hopefully." Mike said smiling at her.

"Will I go?" El asked and this stopped Mike. It had never crossed his mind that El might go to college.

"I don't know, if you want maybe but my parents have been saving since I was born for me to go for the first semester, I could pay the rest. Hopper wasn't saving for you. So maybe, but college isn't everything." Mike said taking her hand and walking with her down the corridor.

"But your going?"

"Yeah."

"What about us?" Eleven asked and this made Mike a little nervous. To explain long distance dating would be hard but he needed to try.

"You would stay with Hopper and Eggo, I'd go off to a college an hour or two away and I'd visit at the weekends and you could come and visit me."

"Oh." Eleven said a little sadly but wouldn't let it show too much as she knew just how much Mike wanted to leave Hawkins. Even though El could never leave, Hawkins was a part of her, Mike could leave. Nothing was tying him down, no lack of money, no history, and no years of education lost.

"But when I'm finished I'll come back for you and me and you can live together! And maybe if I get a good job we can buy a nice apartment close to Hopper and my mom. Sound good?" Mike asked.

"Yes! Sounds good." Eleven said, already imagining their home and all the eggos they could eat if Hopper wasn't there with his stupid rules.

"Sounds good." Mike repeated and El placed her head on his shoulder as they strolled down the deserted corridor.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Party

The party was drawing near and Lucas had still not apologised for his behaviour, moping around the building aimlessly.

That night however the guilt of the fight with Lucas was out of everyone's mind as they met at Will's so they could walk to the party together. It was rather close to Will's home, just on the other side of the fences. The posh area that had freshly trimmed hedges and dogs who walked obediently beside their owners who raised their chins in disgust as the small group passed them.

"This is going to be boring." Dustin said for the fifth time that night. He was adamant in the fact he did not want to go but Max had dragged them all there. Maisy Quinn, the host of the party, was the captain of the soft ball team and many years above Max. If anyone could get her into that championship team it was her. Max was muttering under breath as they spoke reciting game strategies and going over her list of matches won. She was still muttering when he wobbled slightly on her skate board and almost fell over.

"Careful! You'll do fine, Maisy has to let you on the team. School rules." Mike said grabbing Max's arm to steady her.

"I know but I need to make a good impression if I want to be team captain someday." Max said speeding ahead of them and skating circles around the group.

They walked up to the house in the distance, music booming from every angle. The pool in the front yard was an electric blue fading into pink and people holding red solo cups were practically bursting out of every entrance.

"Wow." Will breathed and they all stopped for a few seconds, taking it all in.

"Yeah, wow." Max said stunned. She was not one to admit she was impressed but this had thoroughly stunned her.

This modern mansion of a home was bigger then Mike and Will's home combined, and the garage was easily bigger then El's cabin. The three cars parked outside were foreign brands to the group but they knew they would cost more then their spleen to medical science.

"Well come on! We need to enter sometime." Dustin said and they all marched up the long drive into the three storey home.

On their entrance they heard a loud 'Duck!' and Dustin only just managed to get down when a burly boy came flying down on a zip line from the first floor. He fell headfirst into the coffee table, breaking it into pieces but managed to get up cheering if a little dizzy.

"Let's get some food!" Mike shouted, the music so loud it almost burst their ears.

"I'm going to find Maisy, talk about a spot on the team." Max shouted back and was zooming off before anyone could stop her from entering the mass of people alone.

"Well there goes Max!" Mike shouted to the others, slightly exasperated.

"Look! There's Kat, she looks a little lonely. I'm going to go talk to her." Dustin said to Mike and Will followed. Then it was only Mike and Eleven left, alone in this crazy party.

"Suppose it's just us then." Mike whispered into her ear squeezing her hand reassuringly as she stared, frightened, at the people surrounding her.

They were about to walk away when they turned around and a drunk boy spilled a cup of questionable punch all over El's dress. She lifted her hands in shock and suddenly the boy was flung to the ground, confused why he seemingly fell over nothing.

"Oh my god El! Let's get you cleaned up." Mike said helping Eleven up the stairs and down one of the deserted corridors with a few people making out against the wall. Mike opened what he assumed to be the bathroom door but was met with the sight of two people getting busy in a bathtub. He quickly slammed the door on their drunk faces and led El down yet another corridor in search of some paper towels to clean her dress up.

Halfway down the corridor he met Max who seemed very frustrated and practically stormed over to them, a face like thunder.

"You won't believe the evening I've had!" She screamed over the top of the music coming from downstairs.

"We can talk later, but right now we need to find a bathroom. Some mouthbreather poured his drink over El and if Hopper smells alcohol he'll lose his shit." Mike explained and the three headed down the corridor towards a bedroom.

Max opened the door and led them over to the en-suite. The room was rather girly with a very expensive radio on the bed side table and a television on the mantle piece. This was obviously Maisy's younger sister Amanda's room. The girl who had been handing out the flyers and the meanest girl in school. She had been at a private boarding school since she was three, her behaviour was apparently atrocious yet the students of Hawkins High worshiped the ground she walked on. Her sister, Maisy, was apparently just as popular but twice as mean. So it came as a rather nasty shock to all three when they opened the door to find Lucas and Amanda making out on the edge of the bath tub.

"Lucas?" Max exclaimed and they immediately broke apart, Lucas staring at Max's hurt eyes with guilt and Amanda staring angrily at them both.

"Excuse me but why are you in my room?" She shrieked.

"Because one of your guests poured water on my friend and this was the only bathroom in the building were two people aren't trying to get knocked up in but obviously I was wrong in that thinking wasn't I?" Max screamed back and turned to Lucas. "Lucas Sinclair you are the most horrid person I have ever met!"

She then turned and stormed out of the room dragging Eleven behind her leaving Mike staring at the boy who used to be his best friend, the boy he no longer recognised.

"This has gone too far Lucas. Too far." He said and with that he left.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Grandma Byers

Eleven returned home feeling royally miserable, throwing her dress on the ground and crawling into her night dress. Moments later and Hopper was knocking on the door with and eggo and warm milk.

"Can I come in?" He said poking his head around the door. Eleven nodded slowly and Hopper entered, setting the plain eggo beside her bed and resting the milk on her dresser.

"What to talk about it?" He was well aware there was something wrong or else Eleven would have been a lot more enthusiastic after returning from the party.

"Lucas kissed Amanda. But he doesn't like her, he likes Max." El said trying to wrap her head around this stranger predicament.

"Does Max like Lucas?" Hopper asked simply and Eleven replied simply.

"No. Not anymore. Not after she saw him kissing Amanda."

"Then maybe she does like Lucas but she's angry he kissed Amanda." Hopper suggested and this raised a question to Eleven. If Lucas was mad at Mike then why is he being so mean to Max?

"Lucas isn't our friend anymore." El said her eyes filling with tears, blurring her vision so Hopper was only a figure in a room with very watery features.

"Do you want him to be your friend?" Hopper asked.

"Yes. He's mad a Mike. He told lies, and friends don't lie." Eleven said reaching her sleeve up and rubbing away her tears.

"Oh I see. So Lucas is mad at Mike and because Max took Mike's side he's mad at Max because he likes her. And now Lucas is being mean to them both and telling lies. That's very confusing." Hopper said. He may not have had a teenage daughter for long but he had mastered the art of girl drama.

"Yes." El said staring at her feet.

"Maybe you should talk to Mike and he could talk to Lucas. And if Lucas and Mike are friends again maybe Lucas will say sorry to Max and then everyone is happy." Hopper said stretching every word so Eleven could clearly understand what he was saying.

El jumped forward quickly and wrapped her small arms around Hoppers neck, grateful for his advice and understanding.

"Thank you." She whispered before sitting back.

"You welcome, now don't forget we have lunch with the Byers tomorrow. And dress nice because Joyce's mom is coming and I want to make a good impression. She against modern families and a single dad raising his adoptive daughter is not really her style so please no floating things or moving things, we don't want yet another reason for her to hate us more then she does." Hopper babbled and EL just stared at him with a smile.

"Hopper?"

"Yes?"

"Joyce likes you. Her mama will too." El said and that raised Hoppers spirits slightly, but only slightly.

He gave her one last smile before pulling the duvet over her and turning off her bed side light.

"Night El."

"Night Hops." El said using her nickname for Hopper that irritated him at first but he had learned to love it as it was El who had given him the name and that was something special. However the first time someone else (Dustin) had used the name he almost kicked them head first out of the cabin door.

* * *

That Sunday after church them group all headed off for a bike ride, well everyone but Eleven and Will. They made their way to Joyce's, taking the long way to spend as little time as possible with Will's spiteful grandmother.

"What's she like?" El asked as they passed a rather smelly creek.

"She's old. And cranky. Oh and she lives in England. She has a posh accent but really she grew up in Pennsylvania." Will said chuckling.

"Oh. Does she like babies?"

"No. Hates them. And she especially hates modern families, she'll hate Ben."

"I've heard." El said sadly.

"We haven't told her yet so Nancy and Jonathan are coming over with the baby to tell her. I just hope her and mom don't start arguing again." Will said more to himself then Eleven.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." El said.

A few awkward moments passed, the elephant in the room very large.

"So... Lucas and Amanda?" Will said splitting the tension.

"Yeah. Mike said Max was really upset. I think Mike should talk to him." El suggested something she had been too afraid to say to Mike. And Eleven was never scared to talk to Mike.

"They should. But I've already asked Mike and he said no. I really thought Lucas would have apologised by now." Will said sadly, already admitting defeat before he had even tried. This was the polar opposite to Eleven who would never admit defeat and thought every problem had a solution.

They stopped talking the rest of the way, walking slowly up to the Byer's home. On their arrival they found Joyce fluttering around the living room, it was so clean it hardly looked like Joyce's home, apart from the few strips of wallpaper that had been removed from the sellotape used to attach the map to the wall from two years ago. Every time they saw it she would always insist she was going to fix it.

In the kitchen was Hopper arranging the plates in a neat order and Nancy and Jonathan were playing with Ben on the rug, lifting him in the air and back down again making rocket noises.

"El dear, go and pour some drinks while I finish arranging the flowers. And Will you go and make sure the window in my room is open in case we need a quick escape!" Joyce said pushing Will gently into the hallway leading to her room.

Will had only just returned when there was a knock at the door and Joyce opened it with a shaky hand.

"Hi mom." She sighed to the woman standing behind the door. She was a small woman with a medium build and a thin frame. Short, pristine bangs hid her high forehead and her sharp cheekbones were softened by the neat bob around her neck. She had Joyce's brown eyes, but they had no joy in them. Just brown circles that if you looked hard enough you could see a portion of her black soul.

"Hello Joyce." She said dragging her feet past her daughter and walking into the middle of the room.

"Hi gran." Jonathan stuttered, getting up and hugging her but she did not return the gesture.

"Hello Jonathan. You've certainly grown." She said patting his shoulder and turning to Will. "You have not."

"It's good to see you too gran." He muttered.

"Less cheek boy. Joyce these children need discipline. And who is this?" Mrs Byers said turning to Eleven and Hopper who were standing next to each other containing their anger.

"This is Jim Hopper, my boyfriend and his adopted daughter Jane." Joyce said holding an arm out so El could join her. She did so obediently even though she didn't want any further discussion with this woman.

"Ohm." She said nodding slowly and gazing down at Eleven like dirt on her shoe. "And why could your mother not care for you herself? Drugs? Alcohol? Teen pregnancy? Oh how shameful would that be for you Jim. A child born out of wedlock! It was good of you to take her in but if it had been me I would have shipped her straight back to the orphanage."

"Actually Jane's mother is paralysed and incapable of caring for herself or Jane. She lives with Jane's aunt and Jane visits her frequently." Hopper said putting a hand on El's shoulder and smiling proudly, now she had shut this old hag up.

"Oh. Very well then. And who are you young lady, and who is this child?" She said turning her back rudely on Hopper, Joyce and El and over to Nancy and Will who were playing with Ben. Jonathan was still standing behind his grandmother, hands in his pockets and swaying nervously.

"I'm Nancy Wheeler, Will's friend's sister. And this is my baby Ben." She said standing up quickly, shaking Mrs Byers hand and bouncing Ben on her hip.

"Your baby? You look very young for a married woman. What skincare product do you use?" This resulted in a brief silence before Jonathan interrupted.

"Nancy's my girlfriend gran. And Ben's my son too." Jonathan said smiling at his grandmother who's face was now filled with horror and rage.

"Your baby! Jonathan you are eighteen! Not even married and- What would your grandfather think? He must be turning in his grave!" She shouted at Jonathan but Ben started crying so Jonathan took him and Nancy into the backroom, away from their deranged relatives.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Revelations

The next morning Eleven woke swaddled in her duvet and hair stuck to her cheek with drool. She was not a morning person as Hopper had come to realise. And he dreaded nothing more then to wake Eleven on Monday morning and today was one of those fateful days.

"El?" He said knocking on the door and letting himself into the room. Eleven did not respond to his words but he could see in the small space in the blanket that was open, El glaring at him with blood shot eyes, her brows furrowed. "Last night was a disaster but you need to go to school."

"No."

"And why not?" Hopper said tugging the blankets off her and throwing them to the ground but in seconds they had been shot back up with an invisible force. Hopper sighed at El and what proceeded was Hopper playing tug of war with thin air.

"I don't want to get up!"

"Why?"

"I'm upset!" Eleven said pulling the blankets over her small head.

"Why are you upset?" Hopper asked, trying to be reassuring but failing miserably.

"Because Joyce's mama was mean to me. And she was mean to Will."

"She's mean to everyone El." Hopper said slowly pulling the blanket off her.

"She called me weird."

"Your not weird El, your just unique and she's a cow."

"She called Will a failure."

"She did but I'm sure she didn't mean it. She was shocked like most would be to find out their son had a baby at age eighteen." Hopper said as he picked an outfit out for El from the wardrobe, Eleven making metal notes to change every piece of clothing he had selected as a green jumped and orange shorts did not go together.

"She was a mouthbreather."

"She was, and tell Mike he should stop teaching you words like that. It's not nice. And in her defence El you did fling a roast across the room at her with your mind." Hopper said holding back his laughter at Eleven's miserable face.

"So?"

"You can't do that. It wasn't nice and now you've been uninvited from 'high tea' tonight." Hopper said grimacing at the words 'high tea'.

"I don't care. I'm going to Mike's tonight anyway." Eleven stated lighting up at the thought of a night alone with Mike. Will was of course going to high tea as he had not flung a roast at his grandmother, Dustin was going to his neighbour's cat's funeral, and Max was planning on hanging around the junk yard with Steve. He promised her a driving lesson so that if they ever needed her expert zoomer skills again they could do it with some safety. And of course Lucas was still not on talking terms with them.

"How about tomorrow to make up for last nights disaster and as I was the one who forced you to go, you invite that nice girl Kat Sunny over. She seems like a lovely girl-"

"Kat Sunny?" El said her mind going blank for a second.

"Yeah Kat Sunny. I heard her moms a teacher at your school, a real witch Steve said." Hopper said hocking around for a pair of shoes for Eleven to wear, coming up with a pair of white sneakers.

"Mrs Sunny is he mama?" Eleven said shocked. Of course, it all made sense! Kat had mentioned her brother Alex, and Raw's real name was Alex. And Steve had mentioned Alex's mom was Mrs Sunny. How had they not realised it before! Suddenly Eleven felt a sharp pain of guilt knowing she had stopped talking to Kat even though her family life was so horrible and all she needed was a good friend. It was at that moment that Eleven remembered the day Kat had been running up to her to give her a page of notes, notes for Mrs Sunny's science class, and she had went back to the school gates instead of back home. She was probably getting a convenient lift with her mom.

* * *

"Mike?" Eleven said as she spotted Mike and Will leaning against the bike rack.

"Yeah El. What's up?"

"Miss Sunny is Kat's mama." Eleven stated so randomly that Mike was confused if it was even a question.

"Yeah... And?"

"And Alex is her brother."

"Yeah." Mike said thoroughly confused at the conversation her was having.

"I didn't know."

"Oh. OK. Everyone know, but maybe you just didn't realise before." Mike said matter of factly.

"Yes. But Kat's Amanda's friend." Eleven stated once again.

"Yes, well I wouldn't call her a friend, more like a leader."

"And Amanda is Lucas' girlfriend?" Eleven stated and Mike's face went a little colder at the mention of Lucas' name.

"Yes." He spat out.

Eleven was not very fast in thinking and it took her a few seconds to take it all in, that Kat had lied about her parents as it was common knowledge Miss Sunny's husband and her were happily married, they had been caught holding hands in church, and Kat was also hanging out with Lucas, the boy who had deserted his friends and Kat knew that. Katherine Sunny was not a good person, her innocent appearance a trick to lure you in so she could get under your skin. At least that was what Eleven thought as she was very dramatic when it came to people who lie.

"When Kat met me she asked if we were a couple, or if we made out." Eleven stated and Mike nodded along wondering where Eleven was going with this. "And you had a fight with Lucas because he wanted to know private questions. Lucas doesn't ask those questions."

"Oh my god! And that night at the party I did see Kat talking to Amanda! Maybe she was telling her that Lucas liked her and Amanda decided to take him to the bathroom!" Will exclaimed, him and Eleven now running with the theory that Kat was evil and had set them all up so she could have some gossip, a ticket into the popular crowd and with your mother being the most hated teacher in the school that must have been hard. She would do anything, as El already knew, to be friends with Amanda and her loyal gang of cheerleaders.

"We need to talk to Lucas, see if this is true." Mike said and they all stormed off, eyes set on the target which was to question Lucas and find out the real reason why he had turned against them.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Good Things

"Lucas?" Mike said tapping the boys back as he stood choosing books from his locker.

Lucas turned around slowly, staring at Mike before attempting to walk away from him but Mike caught his arm just in time.

"Lucas please just answer some questions. I promise I will let you go, but you need to answer us."

"Mike please, I don't want to talk to you." Lucas said closing his locker and clutching his geometry book to his chest.

"Lucas, this is important. Just please tell us the truth, we won't be mad even if it isn't what we think it is."

Lucas looked at Mike through sad eyes but decided to agree and walk with Mike and Eleven into the janitors office.

"So what do you want to ask? Quickly!" Lucas sighed.

"Lucas, did Kat tell you to ask those questions, about me and Eleven?" Mike said and they both stared at him as Lucas' eyes softened.

"Yeah. She did. She told me that if I joked about your relationship you would freak out. And she was right." Lucas admitted, it was like taking a breath of fresh air for the first time. Mike took a deep breath in, thinking of all the times he had chosen El over his friends, never wondering how that would make them feel.

"What did she want in return?"

"Nothing much, just any information I knew about you two. She seemed a bit annoyed when I told her I knew nothing and that's when she turned bad." Lucas said folding his arms.

"What do you mean bad? What did she do?"

"She told me if I didn't dig some dirt up on you two she'd tell her mom that I- that I did something bad. Really bad. But that didn't matter because I told her we weren't talking anymore so that's when she decided to find another way to be Amanda's friend. She told Amanda at the party that I liked her and I was easy."

"And you went along with it because if you didn't then she'd tell you mom you did something terrible." Mike said summarizing the whole scenario into a sentence.

"Exactly. And she told Amanda we were friends so she could hang out with Amanda. It didn't work. Kat said a few weeks ago if I went along with it for one more day she'd let me off the hook. She said that everyday, and now I don't believe her. She blackmailed me and her moms a teacher! I couldn't disobey her, she could get us all expelled if she wanted!" Lucas exclaimed taking Mike and Eleven aback.

"Lucas why are you only telling us this now? You know we would have helped you, find something on Kat that we could blackmail her back and end this loop your stuck in!" Mike said but Lucas only shook his head.

"We can't. Kat told me if she caught me hanging out with you guys she'd tell her mom some lies and get you all suspended. Amanda hates you all and she would dump me if she caught me with you all. I hate Amanda but Kat loves her for some reason and won't let me leave her." Lucas said sadly. "And Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. Those things I said, it was just Kat getting into my head. Making me think that you would always take El's side and at the time I didn't realise I was totally out of order. I'm really sorry."

"It's alright. Your in a hard position, any of us would have done it." Mike said patting Lucas' shoulder and smiling at him. "But we won't let you do this alone. Meet at my house tonight, eight o'clock and we can work out a plan to end this blackmail and Kat's power over you."

"Thanks Mike. But only us three. Any more people and something could leak that we're friends again." Lucas said wearily.

"Promise. Only us three, and Lucas?"

"Yes?"

"Max hasn't moved on." Mike said making Lucas blush and quickly scuttle out of the store leaving Eleven and Mike very happy going over their plan.

* * *

The next day arrived quickly and Mike, Lucas and Eleven's plan was in motion. They arrived in front of the school fifteen minutes early as that was the time Kat would arrive so she would not be spotted arriving with her mother. Thankfully Alex had decided to drive himself to school in the jeep his dad had gifted him for his birthday, so Kat was alone walking into the building, her mother going through the teachers entrance to get some tea before lessons. Lucas walked briskly up to the girl as she filled her water bottle in the cooler beside the lockers.

"Hello Kat!" Lucas said happily, bouncing on his heels. Kat stared at him with a raised eyebrows.

"What do you want Lucas. And don't even ask because your not dumping Amanda yet. I'm not popular enough." She said taking a swig of her freshly filled bottle.

"Oh Kat, your not popular at all!" Lucas said which made Kat's face turn red and blotching, filling with uncontrollable rage.

"I am popular! I am Amanda's best friend!" She said even though both knew that was untrue, Kat was simply a donkey to Amanda. A person to carry around her books.

"Kat-"

"No Lucas! You think you can make me feel inferior but you are wrong. I have you right were I want you, under my control. I can spin any story to my mother about you, and if you don't do as I say you and your friends will be suspended! Now get out of my sight before I get you a detention!" She screamed, but Lucas kept a calm face.

"Oh Kat. You know Amanda's only dating me because Jace broke up with her. She wants to get back at him and soon she'll dump me and go back to Jace. So you can either release me from this blackmail or I do something I really do not want to do." Lucas said with a devilish smile on his face, Eleven and Mike now walking up behind him with confident strides.

"What is this? What would you do?" Kat said panicking slightly.

"Now Kat, we all know your a fraud. And Amanda would hate the person you really are. Everyone would." Mike said happily to Kat's raging face.

"And you wouldn't want this recording getting out would you?" Lucas said holding up a recorder that was previously recording in his back pocket. "And not only would Amanda and her friends ignore you, but the whole school would turn on you. Because your nothing more then a deceiving, little girl."

Kat's face was now at boiling point and quite suddenly all the rumours of Kat's therapy sessions became clear when she began screaming. All three stepped back as she jumped to attack her, moments before two secretary's and a passing teacher grabbed her and held her down.

"How dare you! Do you know who my mother is? Lucas you will not dump Amanda! You will not!" She screamed, so loud she nearly burst her vocal cords. Once Mrs Sunny arrived after hearing all the commotion she was stunned to see her daughter being forced down and her three favourite students being comforted by a fellow teacher.

"Bridget, your daughter is out of control! Mr Sinclair has proof that she has been blackmailing him." A teacher said to Mrs Sunny, playing the recording so she could hear for herself the confession that her daughter had been bullying this boy into dating a girl to save his friends.

"Katherine! You wicked girl! You are just like your father, and I am sending you straight back to Pennsylvania. Your aunt can deal with you." Mrs Sunny said whacking her across the head as she was being restrained, laying across three waiting room chairs as the secretary's held her hands behind her back.

"I won't go! You can't make me you cow!" She screamed.

"This is just like before. Why can't you be more like Alexander!" She said, motioning for the teachers to ring 911.

Eleven, Lucas, and Mike had to resist themselves from laughing at the notion that Alex was better behaved then Kat but after the scene they had witnessed today it did not seem impossible.

"Children go back to the classroom, and don't tell anyone of this. I will deal with Katherine." Mrs Sunny said turning to the kids with a stern but soft face.

"Yes Mrs Sunny." They said, practically skipping off to class knowing they had succeeded in their mission. Just as they had reached the second floor where Mrs Sunny's class resided they spotted a van outside dragging Kat into the back, her arms tied in a straight jacket as they pierced her skin with an injection that knocked her out. The two doctors lifted her lifeless body into the van before driving off, Mrs Sunny following behind.

"I hope Kat gets the help she needs." Eleven said resting her chin on the window frame.

"Yeah, I wish that could have been handled a bit- better." Mike said agreeing hole heartedly with Eleven.

"I hope she gets help too. And guys?"

"Yeah Lucas?" Mike said and they both looked up at him.

"Thanks. For everything."

"Thank you. You saved us from expulsion as well, even if you were a bit of an ass about it." Mike joked ad Lucas flung an arm around his shoulder to symbolise their friendship being rekindled. It was little and broken, but it could be salvaged and mended like most good things can be.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Forgiveness

By first bell the whole school knew about the scene that went on in the front hall, and the name of the girl who had to be dragged out by her hair was passed around rapidly. Soon the rumours began and people were running away with the story, and Mike, Eleven and Lucas were famous. The people they passed on their way to the bathroom stopped and stared and everyone asked for the details of the grisly tale that was Kat's outburst. But the worst was when Will, Dustin and Max arrived through the classroom door staring as Mike and Lucas talked freely by their seats, surrounded by nosy classmates.

"Lucas?" Max said and all of a sudden the whole class stopped. Everything went in slow motion until the moment Lucas jumped off his seat and stormed over to Max their faces so close she could smell his minty breath.

"Luc-" She said but Lucas' mouth had already crashed on hers, the whole class erupting into cheers and cat calls.

"Max I'm so sorry." He said pulling away from her.

"Tha- that's alright." She said breathless and speechless.

"And Amanda?" Lucas said turning around. "We're over. Just so you know."

Amanda left the room, faking her tears, desperate for some attention but no one paid any attention to her as she ran from the classroom. Lucas and Mike were friends again and Lucas had finally announced his feelings for Max to the whole class, what could be better?

Well maybe the fact that as people swarmed Lucas and Max, Mike was doing something very nerve wrecking by their seats.

"El?"

"Yes?" Eleven said spinning around to face him.

"I- I wanted to give you this." He said holding out a little silver band, big enough to fit around her finger.

"Thank you. It's very pretty." She said examining it closely.

"I went to the jewellers a week ago. After what Lucas had said to me I thought about it and realised I wasn't scared about it anymore. It's a promise ring." He said slipping it onto her finger.

"How could you pay for it? It must have been all your savings." Eleven said, worrying she had made Mike trade away all his money for her. In the past he had gifted her simple tokens, chocolates and picnics in the park but never had she received jewellery, and although this was a plain ring it must have been expensive as Eleven had walked past that store every time she cycled to Mike's house and she had noticed the multiple zero's after a number on the shelf.

"It's fine, I know the jeweller and he engraved the inside specially." Mike said taking the ring slightly off so Eleven could read the inside, which was engraved in tiny print. This word meant more to Eleven and Mike then the others could realise, it was their word and they way they could remember their time together those two years ago.

 _Promise...  
_

"It's perfect Mike!" Eleven said kissing him quickly before everyone could turn and see them. The teasing would not affect Eleven as she rarely felt shame but it would mortify Mike and Eleven knew it was not her but the endless tormenting he would receive over having a girlfriend.

"I'm glad you like it. And maybe if I collect my savings again, I could, maybe buy you another ring?" Mike suggested his cheeks going red.

"But I already have a ring?" Eleven said smiling. She was oblivious to the hinting Mike was getting at, she had only briefly learned what a wedding was.

"I know, but maybe a ring for something else. Like an engagement ring?" Mike said. He was a little upset she had not understood the hinting as he was extremely self conscious about romance even if he didn't show it that often, but wedding talk would make any boy feel a little awkward and uncomfortable, understandably.

"Thank you Mike." She said kissing his cheek but this time she wasn't quick enough and most of their classmates had seen. Silence followed as everyone stared at them, Mike's cheek going redder then before and although everyone knew about their relationship they had not seen it in the flesh, actually they had never seen any romance in school, only at parties and dances and such.

"Good job Mike!" Someone shouted from the back and everyone started to giggle before Mr Farrell, the music teacher, walked in and ushered them out of the classroom, telling them form class was cancelled for their class and they could all have a free period to spare.

* * *

"Lucas! I see they've forgiven you?" Steve shouted as they emerged from the front doors of the school, the day over and all the events of the day feeling like forgotten memories.

"Yeah, and the plan worked perfectly!" Lucas said jumping up and high fiving him.

"Wait, what do you mean forgiven? Steve have you and Lucas been talking?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, I'm not getting involved in your childish squabbles and I made the grown up decision to not allow Lucas to be alone for these past few weeks." Steve said as they all climbed into his mini van. He had traded his old convertible in for it a while ago, saying it would be good for travelling but the kids knew it was so he could drive them places.

"So tell me exactly what happened." Steve asked.

"Well turns out she did try to stab her therapist back in Pennsylvania!" Lucas said and everyone chuckled.

"And she was a patient up in Curly County, before her release her mother moved down here with Alex and her husband so they could be close enough to doctors who could step in if anything happened." Dustin added.

"She had multiple personality disorder, like Jekyll and Hyde." Mike said putting one arm around Eleven as he comforted her in the back seat of the car. She had a had a long and tiring day, one she never wanted to replay in her mind as it only brought her sadness. It wasn't like her time at the lab, or her time in the woods, this was different. This time she had fallen into the trap and she had brought on the suffering of another. She never realised how easy it was for someone to rip your life away from you but Kat's desperation for popularity was over whelming and that was what drove her back in insanity. And although Eleven didn't have any part in Kat's previous medical history she still felt responsible for what had happened this time, even though she should not be the one feeling guilty.

"Poor Kat." Eleven said.

"It isn't your fault El, she's a nutjob who did this to herself." Dustin said, trying to comfort his friend but he was never one for words and his statement only left Eleven feeling worse, she did not like the use of the word 'nutjob'. It was insensitive and inhuman, making Kat's condition sound like it was her fault when it was not. Years of living in a troubled family with her mean spirited mother had brought this on her, not Kat's own mind. But Eleven appreciated Dustin's attempts to comfort her, his intentions were good ones.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Later

Months had passed and the time that had passed had taken effect on the party. Eleven was no longer the shy little girl who had started at Hawkin's High School, she was now a teenager who had adapted to school life. Max and Lucas' relationship had also blossomed and were now openly referring to one another as their 'boyfriend'/'girlfriend'. It was quite a change from the relationship they had in October, which consisted of Max hating Lucas' very being and Lucas grovelling under the control of Katherine (No one called her Kat anymore, it didn't seem normal. Crazy Katherine was her name but to the party, the ones who had suffered through her wrath referred to her as Kat, and Kat she would always be.)

The thing that had changed the most was Ben. He was now grown big enough to eat food from Holly's old highchair, and old enough that he could recognise his family. Family dinners were always a joy, the Wheeler's sitting around the table with Jonathan and Nancy fussing over Ben as he chomped down on his dinner, Karen taking pictures of the tot who winced every time. A running joke was that he had taken after his godfather. Yes, and Mike had been awarded the title of godfather seeing as Will wasn't that religious and didn't care all that much. This was one of those nights, Christmas eve dinner with the Wheelers and Byers, the Hoppers had been invited over as no one felt it fair to make Hopper spend Christmas eve away from his girlfriend. And it was only a bonus that Lucas and Dustin could call over later to dangle mistletoe over Mike and Eleven if they ever happened to be standing beside conveniently placed step ladders. But first Mike had to endure a tedious dinner with his 'extended' family and not die when Hopper would catch him staring at Eleven across the table.

"This is lovely Karen. The chicken is amazing." Joyce said with a smile as everyone ate their rather bland meal. The stores had been looted by locals of all the Christmas foods and Karen had bought none for Christmas day as she, Mike and Holly would be sharing their dinner with their great grandmother while Nancy ate with the Hoppers and Byers at Joyce's.

"Thank you Joyce. That was very nice of you to say, but I could have done a lot better if the supermarket had not been sold out of anything nutritional." Karen explained but Joyce reassured her it was lovely even so. The small talk was driving Mike to the point of insanity and he was desperate for anything more interesting so he changed the subject t something that could (hopefully) not be changed into anything dreadfully dull.

"You know mom there's a school play. Our class has to be in it, and Mrs Sunny's forcing us." Mike piped up and all the parents (bar Hopper) perked up.

"Really? A play! How interesting? What are you going to be Mike?" Karen said setting her fork down.

"Probably a tree. I'm always a tree. The audition was on Thursday, and El did great! She even managed to recite the whole paragraph after only a few hours rehearsing!" Mike said shifting the attention onto the unsuspecting Eleven. He hated doing it but he knew Eleven was excited about the play, she was actually the only one in the class.

"Really Jane? What's the play?" Karen asked.

"Romeo and Juliet. English assignment. And I didn't do that well." Eleven said blushing but smiling all the same.

"Yeah you did! You were great, you'll definitely be Juliet. Mrs Sunny will definitely pick you, she'd be crazy not to." Will commented.

"Well we'll need to save tickets." Karen said picking up her fork once more before Nancy joined the conversation.

"You know Mike what happens in Romeo and Juliet?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, they fall in love and then die. Simple." Mike said stuffing a forkful of potatoes in his mouth.

"Yes and they have to kiss."

"Mrs Sunny will cut it out, she doesn't like that kind of stuff." Mike said hardly blushing.

"Mike how can she cut it! You can't cut the romance out of Romeo and Juliet! That's like taking dead body out of 'Stand by Me', or the alien out of 'E.T'!" Nancy said laughing at her brother's stupidity, Eleven listening intently.

"So, I'm sure it could be done." Mike argued.

"Mike honey, she's right. It's a pivotal part in the story." Karen said and this time Mike almost choked on his food.

"Your sure?"

"Yes Mike, Romeo and Juliet need to kiss in Romeo and Juliet." She said chuckling.

"And it can't be cut out?" Mike asked.

"No."

"Not even if you have a really mean teacher who is directing the play?" Mike said hopefully.

"No."

"One sec!" Mike said before rushing from the dining room and into the kitchen, Eleven following obediently behind him.

She walked in to find him dialling a number into the phone, a phone book propped up on his knee.

"Yes, hello Mrs Sunny. Yes I know it's late. I just have a small question, could I possibly re-audition for the play? Yes. Yes. I know I already auditioned but- you already cast me? Really? Oh, well then I suppose that's fine, and who's Juliet? Oh. Yes Miss, no foul play. Yes. Yes. Yes, Merry Christmas to you too. Send Kat out love. No, I wasn't being sarcastic! Miss I have to go, yes bye bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Byyyeee." Mike said dragging the phone away from his ear and slamming it back on the wall.

"Mike?"

"Your Juliet, and I'm Romeo! Sorted!" Mike said breathless slamming the phone book on the kitchen counter.

"Why did you do that?" Eleven asked as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world.

"Because I didn't want anyone kissing my girlfriend, that's my job!" Mike joked before kissing her cheek lightly and leading her back into the dining room were they returned to their seats and Mike tried to ignore the icy glares Hopper was shooting in his direction for 'dragging' Eleven out of the room and out of his sight.

Now all Mike had to do was memorise a two hour long play written by Shakespeare and preform in front of his entire school and family, while trying to survive the tormenting that would surely be coming his way once he returned to school for winning the lead as Romeo. And he also had to try and make tights and shorts look normal on a tall, skinny, lanky teen. Shouldn't be too hard?


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Of Mice and Men

The following weekend, after the festivities had ended and everyone was full of food and laughter Eleven had some time alone in her room. She had been out at parties and sleepovers most nights so she had very little alone time, a time she treasured so dearly. Those years separated from society had made her shy and repressed, hours alone since birth could do that to a person no matter the circumstances.

As Eleven sat on the edge of her bed nearest the window, staring out through the frosted glass and staring at the ladybug patter across the leaf that swayed on the large bus that was tall enough to reach just beyond her window sill. It was so peaceful, so quiet and for once in Eleven's life she could see the beauty of the forest she lived in, the world that was out there and the possibilities it presented her. Eleven found everything interesting but little beautiful. She had a corrupt mind full of darkness but it was beginning to clear, after the two years of healing.

She stood up quietly and walked over to her desk were she had a copy of 'Mice and Men' sitting just waiting for her to read. She had taken it out of the library, Dustin had to wait outside as the librarian glared at him through the opened door.

"Maybe ever'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other." She said slowly, sounding out every word, her finger following the text reciting aloud the words of John Steinbeck.

Maybe it was true, maybe everyone was scared of everyone. And at this moment Eleven thought of everyone that she had feared in her life. Doctor Brenner, Benny. And even Mike, Lucas and Dustin. She had even feared them at one point, she had been so afraid. But maybe they were all just as scared of her as she was of them.

"Eleven?" Hopper said knocking the door taking El away from the peaceful few minutes she had. "Mike's here."

The door opened and in walked Mike, Hopper holding the door open for him.

"I'm going to the store, need anything?" Hopper asked.

"Eggo?" Eleven said hopefully.

"Sure, one box though."

"Two." Eleven bargained.

"One."

"Three." Eleven said, refusing to admit defeat.

"Two."

"Four."

"Fine! I'll settle on three!" Hopper said, his voice laced with annoyance.

"Fine." Eleven said slightly upset as she could usually push Hopper to buying four or five but today was not one of those days.

Hopper left the room and as the front door clicked shut Mike and Eleven let out a loud sigh.

"I missed you." Eleven said hopping onto the bed.

"You saw me yesterday." Mike laughed but Eleven ignored him.

"I'm reading. Mice and Men."

"Good book." Mike said falling back, laying flat on the bed and Eleven joined him wrapping one of his arms around her shoulder.

"Good book." She murmured into his chest.

"Yeah." Mike said and they sat there, half asleep, listening to the wind outside and the familiar chirp of the few birds who did not migrate that winter.

* * *

School began shortly after and Mike had to face his class as Mrs Sunny read aloud the cast list for 'Romeo and Juliet'.

"Amanda, Shelly, and Maxine will play our ladies in waiting! Good job girls, and Maxine please make sure to learn your lines." Mrs Sunny said with a rather passive aggressive tone as they all sat in the school theatre.

Max scowled, she was already fluent in 'Romeo and Juliet' as had read it many times before. One of her many quirks was that Max had read almost every book that you set in front of her, she couldn't help it.

"Ashton, Laurence, Adam, Zoe, Vanessa, Clark, Jessica, Lily, William, James, and Lucas, you shall all be ensemble. That means you will be town's folk and such. Not to worry though, every role is important no matter what!" Mrs Sunny said cheerfully, the girls all exclaimed in horror as their attempts at winning the role of Juliet were over and the boys all sighed with relief knowing that they would not be Romeo, including Will and Lucas.

"Your so lucky Amanda!"

"I wish I was a lady in waiting!" All the girls said, Amanda and Shelly looking very proud of themselves. They were acting as if they had won the role of Juliet, little did they know El had gotten that title.

"Mrs Sunny, I think maybe you should reconsider your choice of casting." Amanda said raising her hand dramatically and speaking without permission.

"What do you mean Miss Stewart?" Mrs Sunny said happily. Amanda was her favourite student, she was convinced Kat and her were best friends and entirely blamed Eleven, Lucas and Mike for Kat's mental breakdown even though they had tried to tell her time and time again that they had no part in it.

"I just mean that some-" She clearly stared at Max who glared back. "Aren't as capable as others."

"Miss Stewart I hear your point but I will not recast so you can have one of your friends replace Maxine, no matter how much you hate her." Mrs Sunny said through gritted teeth, she may be evil but she was not unfair or easy to sway.

"Now I will continue."

Five more minutes and everyone was cast bar Eleven and Mike, who no one had noticed had not been given parts. They were sitting behind the rest with the party so they were easily forgotten.

"And our Romeo, is-" Mrs Sunny said slowly leaving room for a drum role that never arrived. Dustin was not as obliging to Mrs Sunny as he was to Mr Clarke.

"Michael Wheeler!" She exclaimed, every head turning to Mike who shrunk low in his set, avoiding the awkward eye contact. "Please join me on the stage Mr Wheeler."

Mrs Sunny smiled broadly as Mike left his seat and slowly joined her on the stage. Her smile was fake and full of hatred, but it was a smile none the less.

"As Mr Wheeler was the only one who could clearly read through the paragraph you were given in audition," Mrs Sunny said bitterly. "He is our Romeo!"

Everyone clapped, but none could overpower the sound coming from the back row. Dustin, Will and Lucas were standing, clapping loudly, cheering and whistling over the crowd.

"That's enough boys." Mrs Sunny said as they continued to cheer after everyone else had died down and returned to their seats. Mike shook his head as his friends loudly cheered, chanting his name.

"And our Juliet is-"

"I bet it's you Stacy."

"Yeah, you deserve it!"

"You were the best!" The girls said crowding around Stacy who was sitting next to Amanda, looking very cocky and confident as she had not received a part yet.

"Is Jane Hopper!" Mrs Sunny said and this time the silence was deafening. Everyone's heads snapped around to Jane who stood shakily in the back row.

The eyes followed her as she made her way to the stage steps, whispering following. Halfway down the aisle they heard a shout.

"But Miss I was so much better! I'm prettier, I'm taller, I'm Juliet!" Stacy said standing, her blonde hair swaying down her back as she dramatically pulled her scrunchie out to allow Mrs Sunny to see how 'pretty' she was.

"Miss Jones sit down!" Mrs Sunny said and Stacy had no choice but to sit down again, laying her head dramatically on Amanda's shoulder, sobbing softly (fake sobbing) as the girls all comforted her, reassuring her she was better then Jane in everyway.

"Jane Hopper showed a side to Juliet that was simply remarkable. Shy and timid, but very powerful at the same time. And she also delivered her lines clearly and without a script. Also she resembles the features needed to be Juliet, her darker hair just works better, and I would rather my Juliet not have blotching fake tan and extensions." Mrs Sunny said, blatantly referring to Stacy who was leaving mascara smudges on Amanda's shoulder.

"So here is our Romeo and Juliet, so we can begin rehearsals tomorrow!" Mrs Sunny said patting Mike and Eleven's shoulders with so much force they stumbled a few steps forward, almost falling off the large stage. "So, 'Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night will it be morrow!"

She finished with a dramatic flourish, storming off stage right clutching her notebook and cast list in her hands, leaving the class to head home.

"I'm dead." Eleven murmured to Mike as she say Amanda and Stacy glaring at her, Stacy with puffy eyes and Amanda with a dead pan expression.

"Well let's run so not to suffer the wrath of thy enemy!" Mike said waving his hand in the air, grabbing Eleven's hand and sprinting down the stairs, bolting past Stacy without looking back. They grabbed their school bags from the party and they group ran out through the doors, they were not looking for another reason that Amanda and Stacy should hate them.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Lilac

Months had passed and before long the entire show was almost complete. Eleven was on her way to yet another Saturday rehearsal, rain pouring outside the car and puddles splashing as they drove along the empty road.

"This is the last ride you get missy! You can't keep waking me up at six am every morning to drive you to rehearsals." Hopper complained. Their coffee maker had broke and it was far to early to grab coffee from a store, besides, Eleven was late.

When they pulled up into the school car park Eleven grabbed her bag and bolted from the car, sprinting through the store, waving her arms frantically in the air as rain pelted her head.

"Bye!" She yelled, the wind picking up her voice and travelling down to Hopper who smiled before driving off.

Eleven ran through the school halls, clutching her bag and trying to stuff her sweater into the already packed bag, fumbling the whole way.

"Jane?" Mrs Sunny said rounding a corner, her arms filled with books and papers.

"Sorry miss." Eleven panted. "Late."

"I see that." Mrs Sunny hissed. "Well everyone's in the dressing rooms picking out costumes. Go and find them."

And with that Eleven sprinted down the corridor and into the side stage door, entering the dressing room that was on the right. It was a large room filled with feathers, material and sewing machines along with rakes filled with elegant costumes.

"Hi El!" Mike said running over to her excitedly.

"El? Sorry retard but she's called Jane!" Amanda laughed, high fiving her friends who stood beside her.

"Come on, we need to pick out an outfit." Mike said ignoring Amanda's comment.

Ten minutes later and everyone was collecting their dresses and suits. Mike had a tunic and simple trousers, to be paired with a jacket that Mrs Sunny was sewing, and everyone else had simple dresses and shirts. Well everyone but Amanda who had picked out a stunning lilac dress with sequins sewed to the bodice and puffy sleeve that were attached to shear sleeves that floated around her wrists. She had been told to pick something off the rack for extras but she had sneaked over to the store, choosing a dress more to her liking.

"Oh my god Amanda!" Sarah exclaimed.

"It's beautiful!" Millie piped up.

"It's not yours!" Lucas exclaimed bringing silence to the room.

"Well I found it so it's mine." Amanda said spinning around at the dress that only reached her ankles and was slightly short around the sleeves.

"You found it in the store! And besides, your not the lead. You don't get the nicest dress." Lucas said folding his arms, hinting at Eleven who was in the corner with Max examining a plain green and white, faded dress that Eleven had unwillingly chosen. There were none left and the real Juliet dress that Mrs Sunny had set aside for her was far to big for Eleven's small frame.

"It's my dress and I'm wearing it because I should have been Juliet! I mean look at me!" Amanda said taking a step back to everyone could see how pretty she was. She was certainly very pretty but she looked mean, mean and spiteful. She was taller then Mike and simply didn't fit Juliet's character.

"What is going on in here?" Mrs Sunny said coming in through the door, yet to see Amanda who was frozen in place. "Jane! What is this? This isn't your dress. I set you and Mr Wheeler's costumes out for you two."

"It was too big. It didn't fit." Eleven muttered.

"Oh. Well I can adjust it-" Mrs Sunny said spinning around to fetch the dress. "Amanda!"

"I'm so sorry Miss, I'll find a new dress." Amanda said scuttling off.

"Wait!" Mrs Sunny called making Amanda stop. "Take this off and give it to Miss Hopper. Maybe it will fit her better and she could wear this. I forgot we even had this dress."

"But Miss-" Amanda started.

"Give the dress to Jane Amanda. Now." Mrs Sunny said looking at Amanda sternly.

"Yes Miss." Amanda said sulking off to take the dress off.

* * *

Moments later and Eleven was in front of a mirror, spinning around in her new, purple dress. It fit perfectly, trailing along the ground just enough that it did not drag through the dirt and dust, but long enough that her feet were hidden to give the illusion of walking on air.

"Perfect! I do believe this was the dress we used for Lady Macbeth two years ago, perfect for Juliet." Mrs Sunny said walking around Eleven to make sure it did fit perfectly.

Eleven exited the dressing room in the dress, off to find a headpiece or fan to go with it but stopped in her tracks as she realised every head in the room was turned in her direction. The girls stared in awe and the boys gawped, their mouths falling open.

"Um..." Eleven mumbled.

"Doesn't she look like the perfect Juliet?" Mrs Sunny said with a resentful smile spread across her thin face.

"Yes. A perfect Juliet." Amanda said as she huffed at the dressing table, powdering her nose, trying to make the green dress she was now wearing sit right and not make her look dreary.

"You look very nice too Amanda. Green goes well with your hair." Eleven said sweetly but Amanda just glared at her.

"Well I think purple washes you out." She hissed so Mrs Sunny couldn't hear from across the room were she was ramming a hat (topped with a pink feather) over Will's head, messing up his hair as he complained.

"Oh." Eleven said, staring down at her dress sadly.

"And your hair looks ridiculous. Surely your mother could have stopped you from cutting it so short. Before she lost custody over you." Amanda said spitefully.

"Mama didn't cut my hair." Eleven said quietly. "She can't. She's immobile."

Eleven was using a word she had frequently heard used to describe her mother, even if she didn't know what it meant. She had no idea it could make someone feel so sorry for her, or make her seem attention seeking.

"Well, hopefully it runs in the genes." Amanda said, storming off just as Mike was walking up.

"Hey!" Mike called after her saw the tears beginning to fall down Eleven's cheek. "Your just jealous! Don't take it out on Jane just because you feel angry with the world."

"Excuse me?" Amanda said, her loyal gang of followers now routed behind her.

"Yeah. Just because Jane got to be Juliet and your a lady in waiting doesn't mean you can be mean to her. Jane did nothing wrong. So stop being so ridiculous and grow up! Your not in kindergarten!" Mike exclaimed, turning his back on Amanda to comfort Eleven, who was now sobbing silently as she hid her face with her hands.

"What is going on here?" Mrs Sunny said striding over to them.

"Miss- I- It was-" Amanda stuttered.

"It's nothing Miss. I'm not a snitch." Mike answered, looking over at Amanda.

"Well, see to it this nonsense stops. And please see to it Mike that Jane here gets cleaned up and free of tears. We can't have any of that emotion before the big show this Friday!" Mrs Sunny said, turning around and returned to Joshua Bell who had just torn a hole in his pants.

Amanda then gave Mike one more mean glare before stalking off with Stacy, Jackie, Francie, and Megan to deal with their hideous costumes.

"Don't listen to her El. You look perfect." Mike whispered into her ear.

"Pretty?" Eleven said rubbing her nose.

"Pretty. Definitely." Mike said kissing her head to stop her from crying any more, and it worked so Mike and Eleven could clean away the tears and help Eleven with her make-up for the dress rehearsal.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Lights, Camera, Action

The night of 'Romeo and Juliet' was upon them and Eleven was filled with nerves. Not only was she forgetting everything she had learnt the past few weeks but she was standing backstage feeling like vomiting or running away, neither very wise options as she had a whole audience out there waiting for her to make an appearance.

"Mike." Eleven said tugging on his shirt. "I can't."

"You can't what?" Mike said as he rubbed his sweaty hands together anxiously.

"I can't act." Eleven said as if it was the most normal thing to say before going on stage.

"Yes you can. You know your lines and besides it's just a high school play. There isn't even sixty people out there, fifty at the most." Mike said.

"I can't." Eleven said, fumbling with the hem of her skirt.

"You can El. You have to. We're all going on there too, just say your lines and if you need some encouragement just look over at me, I'll be right here in the wings." Mike said with a smile.

"Encouragement?" Eleven said.

"It means when you feel sad or like you can't do something, someone gives you encouragement to do it." Mike said just as Mrs Sunny began to shove Eleven on stage as the curtains drew back.

So Eleven stood there, centre stage, the glaring lights of the bright stage blinding her for a few seconds. She thought about running, the idea did spring to her mind, but she stood rooted to the spot. A million thoughts flashed through her mind in the few seconds she stood on the stage, fear gripping her like an iron fist, forcing her to the spot.

Just as she was about to turn and run off the stage, scoping out her escape, she spotted Mike in the wings. He was standing there in his costume, looking very adorable, waving to her and mouthing the words so she could begin her short speech.

And after one deep breath she began, stumbling through it and mispronouncing words every few seconds as anyone does. It wasn't a Oscar worthy performance but the show ran smoothly and Eleven put enough effort and energy in to make it believable that she was in fact, maybe, possibly, Juliet.

By the time she was back at Mike's for the party's sleepover she was buzzing with excitement.

"I'm glad that's over!" Lucas aid as the entered the basement.

"Yeah, so boring!" Dustin said jumping the last step.

* * *

Later that evening and everyone was crowded around Mike's small television screen. Star Wars was playing on repeat, Dustin and Mike were arguing about whether Goofy was a dog or not, and Eleven sat beside Max as the ignored the movie and painted each others toe nails. Max had a strong hatred for Star Wars and Eleven had seen it far too many times. Besides, nail painting was much more enjoyable.

 **I know I haven't been updating this story much lately, but I was away on a holiday with no wifi, yes tragic I know, and I have decided that this might be the last chapter for this story. I understand it is shorter then Stranger Things 3 but I think from now on the stories will be shorter. Stranger Things 5 will be around the same length as this and it will be up eventually. Once it is up I will update this story to tell you all. Thanks for reading and I will continue this curiosity voyage!**


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